Against All Odds
by panichord
Summary: In that moment he found a loose grip on the dying world in a woman long lost to it. Eventual Rick/OC. Reality based.
1. Should've, Could've, Would've

**Against All Odds**

**Panic's note**: Alright, guys! So, here I am pitching my first full length fiction at you. I admit this start is different and doesn't allow much background for the character. The story will build on who she was as this progresses much as the Walking Dead has done with its characters. The goal is to keep this as believable as possible. So yes I will be following closely to the story line and framework of the show. I do NOT have a background with the comics, therefore that verse will be left out of this story entirely.

The pairing for this will be an eventual Rick/OC. Although I'm thinking Daryl will have a nice role in this story as well.

This isn't your typical OC driven plot either. I'm keeping this real, so that pairing is eventual in every sense of the word. Lori and Carl are going to be a part of this. I won't be doing any unnecessary axing just for convenience sake.

This OC will be the main focus of this. If you don't like OCs then I'd have to say this probably isn't the story for you.

I think I've run my mouth enough for now. Enjoy the show! :)

**Disclaimer**: It's not mine if you recognize it. All characters and similarity in plot/setting belong to their respective owners. I'm just using them for my own amusement right now.

**Chapter 1: Should've, Could've, Would've**

The groan of old metal twisting together broke the still silence just off the perimeter as a slender woman jumped from the battered old ford. Her body tensed while her eyes scanned the surrounding field leading into the forest line. There was nothing too out of place and everything remained eerily quiet. She gave a short determined nod before turning back to the truck to quickly grab a pistol from within. With great effort she softly shut the door to the Ford, which only awarded her with another loud groan. The woman's gaze quickly shot back to her surroundings. Her ice blue eyes conveying her fear as she remained frozen in place. She managed to take a few shaky breaths which gave her enough courage to peel away from the rusted truck. She couldn't stand there forever or turn back. She'd made up her mind and was now on a self-proclaimed mission to find something. Be that supplies or weaponry. Of course, she had to push away the most likely encounter she'd be facing. Walkers, and given the fact that she was now all alone, it just made that sad reality that much harsher.

So, with another shaky breath and some dwindling courage she withdrew her hand from the rusted handle. Cautiously she stepped onto the weed ridden rocky drive. Again she threw a few frantic looks around the perimeter. After coming this far she wasn't going to let down her guard. Granted her guard was a weak one and her stability as a whole had about reached its breaking point.

"Focus," she chided herself in a dry voice. Quickly, she drew her attention away from her anxiety rampant thoughts. She needed supplies and a former evacuation point had to have something left behind with it, or whatever this place represented. She already had the uneasy feeling that she was about to set foot on an unmarked cemetery. Those few who'd fallen or had been left for dead would never be set to rest in peace. It was a sickening truth to this new world, but one that she had come to turn a blind eye to.

She came to a quick stop at the fence and stifled a yelp at the two dead walkers lying just beyond it. They were lined up perfectly with deep sliced blows to the head. She shook her head and swallowed. Even after months of seeing this, living this, experiencing this – she still couldn't handle the sight of it – which really was a testament to her weakened spirit. Ever death marked a step furtherer from finding a way through this. Whatever "this" was as she could hardly place a name to it. It was something volatile, biological, and altogether deadly.

Taking another sharp breath she brought her gaze back down on the walkers as she quickly analyzed the pair. Her training in the EMT field showing through as she noted the still black trickling blood seeping from the head wounds of the walkers. That's when it hit her. In a rush she glanced back to the road and caught sight of the Hyundai. She wasn't alone. She couldn't be. The walkers looked like fresh kills, which meant whoever had passed through here hadn't left yet. Or had they? She tilted her head back to the partially opened fence. One of these days her oblivious nature was going to bite her in the ass. Cursing her bad luck the woman pushed back her matted chestnut hair. She began shifting her weight between her feet as she weighed her choices. She could move forward with her hopeful scavenging and take her chances or she could continue on to the next town. She let out a tired frustrated sigh as she pulled her free hand from her tangled dirty hair, wincing as her fingers caught on a few snags.

Raising the pistol in front of her she slowly made to creep through the fencing and onto the property. Her eyes darting about as she stepped past the fallen walkers, walking in between the truck and them. She didn't have the first clue as to where to start, so made for the nearest building. Her hands shaking slightly as she came to a stop against the wall.

"You've got this," she mumbled weakly, doing her best to build on her courage.

She had been so much stronger when she was with the small band of survivors from her region. Of course, it had been two weeks since she lost them. Not to the walkers, but to her own misdirection. She shook her head at the haunting memory. There wasn't time for any of this. She needed to get in and out without being noticed by man and walker alike. In a way she almost preferred walkers to the living. They were dangerous without a doubt, but they weren't manipulating or deceitful. The few months she'd spent with the small band had made her sickly aware of this fact. In this world you were your own guardian. If you couldn't watch your own back then you were as good as walker bait.

Her pause wasn't long lived. She had to keep moving, to fight, to survive, or everything she'd been through was in vain. With that she moved along the rough brick wall and towards what she could only hope was an entrance. Sucking in another deep breath she came to a stop at the edge. Her attention focused in on trying to hear anything out of place. With a reassuring smirk she slinked around the wall, but came to a quick stop as it drew to a close in a mess of bushes. She didn't at all fail to notice the dried blood stains spattered about the wall. This wasn't a terribly good sign, but she had to press on. She came to an abrupt stop on her path as a desperate voice cried out for help. Within seconds she had slammed herself down against the grimy bricks. Her breathing now rapid as she thought of all the possibilities for the cry and what it meant to her. Her eyes shot back down along the wall, towards the fallen walkers, and past that to her only form of safety. She needed to get back there and fast.

"He knows where the farm is, Rick." A man's voice muttered in judgment. The sound of approaching footsteps coming to a halt a few yards away. Slowly, the woman crept closer. Her free hand pushed aside the bushes that blocked her view. In this moment her curiosity overrode her survival instincts that screamed at her to leave. It had been weeks since she'd heard a person speak. It was an actual person at that. He wasn't groaning, growling, or wheezing. For a while she'd been convinced that the band she'd been traveling with were the last few remaining.

"Shane, no!" The other man, who she could only assume was Rick bellowed, grabbed onto the shooter's arm in a rush. This was enough to drag the woman back to reality and to the scene that was unfolding in front of her. The wiser person would've taken this as a cue to run, but somehow she found herself locked in place.

That, of course was enough to knock the aim off his target. Her blue eyes followed the trajectory of the pointed gun which led to the bounded kid. Oh dear lord what had she stumbled upon. She held onto a gasp of sheer confusion and fear as she dropped the bushes and pressed even more tightly to the wall. Her mind now raced trying to think of a way out of this mess without being noticed.

"I don't think you can keep them safe." The man who'd let loose the shot countered. Her hand pulled back the bushes carefully as she peeked in on the scene. The man referred to as Rick answered with a determined growl before slamming into the gunman.

"Oh god," she muttered to herself, quickly clamping a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were now stuck to the two strong men fighting it out amongst the abandoned cars. She shook her head in disgust before tearing her gaze away from them. They were fully distracted now and this was not a show she intended to watch all the way through. This was her chance and she'd be damned if she didn't take it. She frowned as her gaze slipped from the brawling men to the bounded boy. The faintest traces of guilt pulled on her hard features, once soft but now hardened by the months spent surviving, as she turned to leave them. There wasn't much she could do for the poor kid's situation either way. Even if she wanted to help him she couldn't.

She still gripped tightly to her gun with her right hand while she edged her way back stealthily against the brick wall. Her attention focused solely on completing this task as the sounds of battle crashed out loudly behind her. She could hear the sound of metal meeting pavement when she finally rounded back to safety. Her pulse beating wildly at the suddenly dire situation she'd walked right into. They were lunatics! They had to be. The amount of noise alone would draw the walkers out. Her grimy hand shook violently as her gaze slipped down to her only weapon. She had five rounds and that wasn't nearly enough. She stood in a daze as she realized just how screwed she was bound to be.

Her trance was broken by the distinct sound of glass breaking from the brawling fight behind her. The sound of the wrestling men now gone, replaced by gurgling groans. Her blood ran cold within an instant. That sound marked the beginning of her worst nightmare. She only had one option now and took it. Breaking away from the wall at a fast stumbling sprint she made for the Ford. Her forceful steps pushing her out onto the field leading back to the fencing. She'd made it half way across the field when she heard the shuffling of feet followed by an even louder chorus of the walkers.

"Hey! Hey you! Wait! Please!" The boy's voice called out from behind her. She knew she shouldn't stop. She didn't know him and right now she valued her life more than that of someone she didn't know. So, she kept moving. Her only acknowledgment of his words being represented in the haphazard glance she tossed back at him. Her face strained between sorrow and terror.

"Run!" She called back to him. It was the best advice she had in that moment as her focus remained tied to the fence.

The shuffling and groaning only grew louder with each step that took her farther away from the source. She knew better than to leave the living behind, but what other choice did she have? She had five rounds in her pistol. That was five walkers down, if she could even nail the shots. She couldn't risk it and that was final. Her pace faltered some as she came to a stop by the fencing. Against her better judgment she casted a glance back.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she muttered to the boy, who was now trailing a walker or two. It seemed the bulk of the horde had taken chase to the two men. She slipped through the fencing haphazardly as she gritted her teeth. She couldn't bear to witness the kid's downfall. It would partially be on her hands if she thought about it. No life was worth losing in this trying time and yet here she was running like hell for her truck. It was selfish of her and she knew it. Survival was her focal point in life now and that justified her inhumane actions. It countered everything she'd believed in only months ago, yet it was her only choice. At least she would continue to tell herself that if only to remain somewhat sane.

The troubled thoughts were quickly cut off, however as she came to a skidding stop just by the Hyundai. In hindsight, she really shouldn't have been shocked by the walkers now slowly making their way down the vacant street leading up to the property. After all, the trio had made enough noise to draw the attention of every walker within a mile or more. She stood in shock for a moment before continuing forward. The sight of them would never lose its chilling effect.

Her legs now grinded into the rocky ground beneath her feet with a new found vitality. The gun jolting about as she tried to steady it in her rush. It was more of a reinforcing power to the woman than an actual tool of use. Her aim was a lousy one and not considerably lifesaving given her background.

One of the approaching walkers shifted its direction towards her as she dashed towards the truck. She caught sight of it just out of her periphery while coming to a crashing stop against the truck. Pain shot through her side while she turned back towards her enemy. Its rotting flesh dangled wickedly from its mangled mouth as it continued mindlessly towards her. Its grey festering arms reached out hungrily while its legs quickened in their stumbling attempt to reach its prey.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit!" The woman cursed, raising a shaky gun towards the monster. Her focus faltered on her target as she took her aim and squeezed the trigger. It was too close for her to leap in the truck safely. This would ultimately leave her with four rounds, a sick stomach, and a crow bar. The shot blasted through the rotted flesh, punching a hole through the walker's throat, which caused the walker to stumble back in reciprocation of the shot. The woman cringed at the sight before forcing herself to regain her sense.

Chestnut hair flew about the woman's face as she twisted hastily back to the truck, yanking the door open, and falling into its safety. Her time was running short and the growing walkers were making that a clear point. So with as much precision as she could manage she slammed the door shut and ignited the old truck's ignition. The truck roared to life and the audible shifting of gears rang out above the sickening sounds of the walkers. Her gunshot only dragged more of their attention towards her. She slammed on the gas revving the engine to life and screeched out onto the country road. She winced with each walker she aimed her truck at. At least she could offer some support to the men she'd left behind. In her own twisted way this gave her even more justification for what she was doing. She didn't know them, but they were living. Even if she was leaving them to essentially fend for themselves. It gave her hope and in that moment it gave her the strength to fight back.

She tossed a pained glanced to her rearview mirror as the truck lurched up from the impact of hitting another walker. She made out two forms staggering quickly back to the Hyundai and a tight smile crossed her lips. The Hyundai screeched out onto the rocky road making a clear path back towards the property. She could only imagine what they were doing. Her smile quickly fell back to a hard line while she pushed aside her rising emotions. Once again she was leaving behind what little bit of life still remained on the planet.

The route she took rounded back to the country road. Her thoughts were still torn over her easy retreat. This wasn't the first time she'd skipped out on survivors. All of this running was starting to take a toll on her. It was becoming harder to keep up the act and survive. She wasn't fighting for anyone but herself and after everything she'd done it was starting to grate on her willpower.

She shouted as the impact of all of that crashed into her. Her hand slammed down hard against the steering wheel and she winced. For the first time in a long time she was angry with herself. She should've done something back there. She could've gone out on a limb and fought for those three men. She spent ten years as an EMT, yet here she was turning her back on those who needed her help. Why wouldn't she do it? She shook her head fiercely at the swirling doubts.

"You had no other choice," she reminded herself aloud, wiping her dried eyes as frustrated tears threatened to fall.

Her mental breakdown was shorted lived. Her blurry vision caught sight of a vehicle parked in the middle of the road a mile or so ahead. She frowned at the sight. She knew that vehicle, but from where? The truck decelerated as she crept closer to the obstacle. Her eyes widened when she was close enough to make it out. The silver Hyundai shone in the dappled light from the forest that surrounded them. Two men, the two that had been fighting to be exact, stood outside of the car. The one she remembered as Rick seemed to be speaking to the gunman, who she vaguely thought was named Shane. The latter was staring right back at her with a broad smile. Although, the smile was nothing short of intimidating. Rick turned his gaze to the truck at the other's smile. Neither of them moved. Clearly they wanted a word with her.

The woman behind the wheel sat in a stunned silence. The truck crept closer toward the pair, while her grip tightened on the steering wheel. She had no idea why they were sitting there. To be honest she didn't really want to know.

**Reviews are appreciated and valued!**


	2. Blindfold

**Panic's Note**: Who's ready for Chapter 2! I know I am! This story is amazingly fun to write and I am extremely glad it was well received by the majority of you. I would like to personally thank each and every one of you who added Against All Odds to your alerts or favorites. It keeps the fire for this story blazing.

I'd also like to give a shout to those of you who left a review. Thank you so much for your kind words and support. You don't know how much they mean to me as a writer. I publish all of this for you guys!

Also for clarification purposes this story is eventual Rick/OC. I'm not deviating away from the pairing. In fact I've already got my story plotted out, so please enjoy the ride.

Now let's continue shall we?

**Disclaimer still applies**

**Chapter 2: Blindfold**

Chestnut hair fell in a knotted clump around the woman's face. Her blue eyes strayed away from the blocked road in front of her down to her white knuckles. Her grip on the steering wheel was as tight as she could make it. She was rolling herself into a potential death trap of her own will. She could've easily turned around a mile back and returned to the walker infested grounds of the evacuation site. She could've easily veered off into the woods and waited out this stand. Could she even call it that? Of course this could all just be some sick twisted form of karma. After all she'd done up to this point it'd be ironic that her constant running led her into the path of two armed men clearly at odds with themselves and others, instead of an army of walkers. At this point she wasn't sure which would be the least painful method of dying amongst the two.

She took a deep breath as she eased some of the tension in her grip away from the steering wheel. Her dazed gaze drifted back to the two men waiting for her as the truck came to a slow stop. The brakes screeched through the silence of the wooded roadway. She'd missed her second chance of escape. Instead opting for whatever these two men had in store for her and somehow she couldn't imagine any of it being pleasant. She tore her attention away from them briefly while she unrolled the window to the worn truck. Her arms shaking slightly, which marked the woman's faltering strength. After running from walkers, fighting them off, and gripping the steering wheel for dear life there wasn't much left to spare. Her hands drifted into her lap while she tilted her focus back to the two men. She attempted to regain her composure as the two of them finally made a move to approach her. She tossed one fleeting look at her pistol lying carelessly on the floorboards, but decided against any attempt to grab it. She was already pushing her luck and if it came down to a gun fight she'd ultimately lose.

"We just wanna talk to you, alright?" Rick called out to her, his hand rested lazily against the butt of his pistol while the other was raised in a gesture of peace.

"We don't mean you any trouble. We just gotta ask you a few thing," he reiterated with a raised eyebrow when he didn't receive an immediate response from her. In a way he was asking for her understanding in the current situation. Although, there was no need for the pleasantries given the fact that both men knew they had control over it.

The woman nodded slowly at his request. It wasn't like she had any other choice and at the moment she was too drained to vocalize a reply. She knew it'd come off as weak. If not lifeless given the effort she'd put forth today. It was all so draining on her. There was no rest in this new world though. It seemed that she'd escape one situation just to stumble into another. Granted, the mess she found herself in now was much tighter than any before and quite frankly she was running out of energy to fight back.

"Shane," Rick muttered quietly as he nodded his head towards her car. His partner quickly picked up on the gesture and made his way cautiously around the passenger side of her truck. His gun raised again, but this time in pre-emptive defense.

The drained woman shifted her gaze between the two in confusion as Shane moved to examine the truck. It was clear that neither of them were willing to take any chances with her. Quickly, she let her focus lock on the man who'd asked to speak with her as she did her best to ignore the one now armed and snooping around the side of her car. She hadn't failed to notice the sharp glances he tossed into the passenger side of her tuck or the fact that he was moving around to the bed for further investigation. The rustling of the tarp draped carelessly over her remaining supplies added to the faint noise they were creating on the desolate road.

The one called Rick stared back at her blankly, yet with an alertness that announced his own uncertainties concerning her. His short wavy brown hair catching a few streams of sunlight that drifted through the thick tree branches above. Although, his overall demeanor looked nothing short of damaged. Bruises and cuts lined the man's face as a result of the brawl he'd had not too long ago. His shirt displayed various splotches of blood from man and walker alike. He looked the part of a survivor and a tough one at that.

He didn't offer her any reassurance as his partner continued to dig through her supplies. She tilted her head back towards Shane and frowned. He now had a hold on her crow bar as he swung out of the truck bed with a look of bewilderment plastered to his battered features.

"She ain't a threat to us, man," he stated with confidence. "Unless you consider this a threat," he tossed the crowbar on the ground in amusement as he shook his head. "Only thing I found that could do damage, nothing else." His voice grew lower as he reported his findings to Rick.

"How are you still alive, girl?" He asked her sarcastically, turning himself back around. His gun now holstered at his side while dark brown eyes pierced into hers.

"Luck," she replied with the faintest hint at the statement being more of a question than anything else. The woman shifted slightly in her seat at the man's question. She wasn't sure exactly how to address his outright aggressive and assertive manner.

"You must be one helluva runner then," he observed with a smirk and another shake of his head. The built man moved a little closer to the window and added, "Guess I better count myself lucky that ya didn't try anything back there. I have a feeling things might've ended differently."

The woman bowed her head some at his remark and did her best not tremble at his words. She now had a pretty good idea what this was all about. It made perfect sense actually. In every sense they should be concerned with her flighty reaction to the aftermath of their fighting. Most other survivors would've at least tried to help or so she assumed. Miserably she turned her attention back to them. Shane now had a satisfied smile pulled across his injured face, while the other frowned.

"You know that kid?" Shane asked, his expression shifting back to one much sterner in nature.

"Who?" She answered in confusion.

"Rick," he started, absently nodding back to his partner. "Saw you yell something back to him right before taking those walkers out," his eyes narrowed as he ran a hand over his buzzed hair. "We ain't got time for talkin' games, so just tell us what ya know. And don't lie."

She looked at him a bit dumbfounded as she slowly shook her head. This was insane. How could he possibly think she knew the kid? She had a feeling others might be paranoid, but this one was taking that to the extreme. Of course, she could hardly relate to safeguarding others. Trust was a precious thing seldom seen. Her former band had never truly harnessed that aspect, which made it that much easier to leave them behind.

"I, honest to god, don't know that man." She stated sternly, her voice blunt due to everything she'd witnessed that day. It had drained her of what little energy she had left. This whole encounter shouldn't even have happened, yet here she was in all her glory. Her intelligence lost a mile or so back when she decided to continue on this path to confront these two.

"Bullshit," Shane growled at her, before roughly slamming his knee into the side of her truck door. He swiftly walked away from the truck in an attempt to keep himself from acting too irrationally. "See, Rick! Why do you gotta keep giving these people chances? They ain't doing us any good. She's hiding something! He's hiding something!" He hollered as he gestured angrily back to the Hyundai in a rage. "You're not keeping any of us safe by letting him live, and I'd reckon that the same could be said for that one!" He glared back in her direction with a force that sent the woman's ice blue eyes to the floor of her truck. Oh yes she was definitely in trouble now. "She might not be all that threatening, but if she's here then where are they?" Shane finished, his piercing glare shifting back to his partner.

"I thought we settled this, Shane." Rick finally spoke. His demeanor conveyed his authority over the situation. "We're gonna decide this as a group and that's final." Rick's voice took on a more edgy tone as he reiterated the points he'd made back at the evacuation site. "I ain't about to justify his death given what he said. The kid's desperate to live and he deserves that chance."

"Rick he knows where the farm is." Shane countered bitterly before turning his attention to the woman still sitting silently in the truck. "She knows where the farm is," at this the woman jolted back to reality. The cold truth of what he had implied hit her full force as her eyes frantically searched around her. She had to get out of here, but how? The truck wasn't an option. The second she started the truck she'd have two guns shooting at her and somehow she doubted that either of the men before her had lousy shots. Her focus fell back on the pistol still tossed onto the floorboard beside her. Nervously, she ran the risks of grabbing for it in her head and did her best not to let her emotions play too heavily on her face. Her lack of energy fading as her mortality came into the forefront of her mind. She wasn't ready to die not her and sure as hell not now.

"We aren't discussing this, Shane." Rick shot back with just as much intensity. His hand flexed over the butt of his pistol. It was clear that he still had his doubts about his partner as they stared each other down. It was also clear that the pair hadn't resolved whatever it was that brought them to fight each other earlier.

"You should've let me die back there, man. If it was my life for there's." Shane said, gesturing down the road behind them. "It would've been worth it. Maybe you would've seen just how wrong you are. Shit, you might've even realized that Lori and Carl aren't safe with these people," he paused, demonstrating the small distance with his hands. "That damn close to them"

"I said we aren't discussing this anymore, Shane." Rick bit back, an array of emotions playing across his battered face. "You know I wanna survive just as much as you do," he growled with a pointed glare. "I ain't about to kill either of them for information they may or may not have. That isn't for me to decide. It isn't your call either. We've wasted enough time talkin' circles."

The woman blinked at the sheer power both of the men possessed. Their words and postures alone were enough to convince her otherwise of reaching for the pistol. She shifted in her seat again and shook her head in desperation. Neither of them seemed to care what she told them regarding the boy. Since she said "Run!" to the kid she was associated with him by default, which marked her as an enemy in their eyes. Faltering at the gate probably wasn't helping her case either.

She sank back further into her seat as dark brown eyes shot back in her direction. A part of her had been hoping that they might just forget about her altogether, even though in her own mind the fleeting hope was nothing short of impossible.

"That's fine and dandy, man, but what are you gonna do with her? She can't possibly be connected to Randall. So why don't we just send her on her merry way and act really fucking shocked when she brings that group back to the farm." Shane said, his voice dripping with sarcasm that didn't at all mask the brute force of his statement.

Rick paused for a moment at Shane's statement before nodding his head in defeat. It was obvious that he hadn't really thought about what to do with her as his pale blue eyes shifted back to the truck and came to rest on her. It seemed the venom of his partner's statement didn't quite strike home, which was apparent in Rick's acceptance of the statement.

"We'll take her back with us," he stated bluntly. "Get her blindfolded," he gestured back to the car and what little bits of cloth they'd find within. "Let the group decide the rest. She ain't much of a threat by herself. We might be able to work something out with her." He ended with a sad nod. It wasn't in his nature to hold people hostage without reason, which he had none concerning this woman. For all he knew she could've truly been in the wrong place at the wrong time. In all honesty, he wasn't all too keen on this idea but it had to be done. Shane was right. The risks were too high if they let her continue on.

The woman just sat in a frozen silence. They were going to take her with them and hadn't so much as addressed her since the first brash question. They weren't even giving her a chance to explain herself. This was all happening too fast for her to even try to keep up with it. Yet, there wasn't much she could do. The power of choice had been taken from her the moment she pulled the truck to a stop and rolled down the window.

Silently, both men turned seperate ways as Shane made his way back around the Hyundai in search of a strip of cloth, while Rick solemnly made his way back to the old truck. His eyes drifted along the road as he came to a stop at the truck's window. He finally brought his focus back on the woman and offered her a forced smile. One of which she shot back.

"I'm gonna ask you to come with us." He said with a curt nod. This whole display reflected back on his past life.

"I really- I mean I don't have anyone to report back to. I swear to you on my mother's grave." She flinched at her own word choice, which was poor at best. "Please, just let me go back the way I came. I'll even power through whatever horde you left wondering the streets back there," she stressed, doing her best not to stumble too much over her words. Although the mere thought of going back the way she came caused her body to shake slightly as the fear of the walkers made itself known once again. She was so tired of running. She was so sick of every turn leading back to them. They were a constant reminder of her faults in the new world and her regrets of the old. Things would never be what they were before and that was a bullet she wasn't quite ready to bite yet. "Please, I don't want anything to do with you and your own. I got my own back to watch." She finished hoping beyond hope that her last statement would drive her innocence home.

"No, I'm sorry." Rick said, his voice void of all emotion as he shook his head. "We can't risk it." She just stared back miserably at his response. She knew it had to be done. They couldn't trust her and rightfully so. It still didn't justify what they were about to do. She didn't deserve to be treated as a hostage. She hadn't done anything to wrong either men or place some unforseen threat on their group. The idea of being brought back and presented to a group of wary survivors sent a new spark of fear through the woman.

"I don't wanna fight you. So please don't make this more complicated than it has to be." Rick added, a slight hint of remorse in his tone as Shane approached the truck. Something told her that he truly didn't want to do this. It was the first form of reassurance she'd received from either of them since she'd crossed their path. It was a glimmer of humanity she hadn't seen in over two months.

Rick pulled the old door open. The rusted metal groaned in protest at the movement, which fully exposed the slender woman to the two men. Her last source of safety yanked open in one swift movement. The woman looked helplessly about the truck she'd come to recognize as some twisted sense of home and sighed.

"Well," Rick stated bluntly, gesturing for her to get out of her own accord. This was her chance to fight back if she was going to. In most situations and amongst most survivors she was sure that option would be hastily taken. It was kill or be killed. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to reach for her last true path of escape. Her aim was too poor to even try it and the men were both armed. Something else kept her from acting on impulse though. It was the small part of her that still longed for the society she'd known for twenty nine years. That same society that had been taken from her within a week's time.

She staggered a bit as she climbed from the old truck. Her gaze fixed on the cement as she stood there awkwardly waiting for whatever they were going to do. The thought of running rushed to the forefront of her mind, but she quickly dismissed it. Where would she go if she could make it past these men? Rick lightly gripped her right upper arm and moved her away from the truck towards Shane. The scene looked like any normal prisoner trade off had this happened earlier.

"Wise choice." Shane sighed. The rage from earlier now paled to a weakened annoyance of her.

"Not that there was one," the woman muttered quietly, shaking her head. There was no point in firing back at the two men. It would only make her situation worse. Shane shrugged at her weak comeback that didn't quite make it to his ears. Its strength dying on her lips as the line rolled out in something best interpreted as a dull mumble. Roughly, he brought the torn black piece of cloth over her eyes and tightened it harshly behind her head. She winced as the knotted piece of cloth bit into a wound still lingering alongside her forehead acquired during some run in with walkers

"You been scratched or bit?" Rick asked her cautiously, his grip loosening on her as his free hand tightened around the body of his gun. She shook her head at his question. It was an important one and one that thankfully didn't apply to her. She'd always been quick enough to get by without getting caught.

"Alright, I'll take Randall and her back to the farm." Rick started, nudging the woman to move forwards as he began to guide her towards the Hyundai. "You take the truck and cover my rear. We've been here too long. It's best not to risk another run in with walkers."

"Could've called that one." Shane chuckled darkly with a shake his head, making his way back to the truck. His hand rubbing over his buzzed cut as he hopped into the truck and turned the ignition. He obviously wasn't at all thrilled with having to follow Rick back or drive the piece of shit that the woman had been in. He did a quick once over of the interior of the truck and frowned at the pistol lying clear as day on the floor boards. Now that was something he wasn't expecting to see.

"Well I'll be damned!" He sighed, picking the weapon up and holding it in position.

The door to the Hyundai was shut with a soft click in comparison to the old truck she'd been travelling in for the past few weeks. The interior of the vehicle was much more welcoming than that of the musty old cloth within the Ford. She tilted her head in the direction of Rick climbing into the driver's seat. She had no idea where they were going or what would be on the other side of the blindfold once they got there. She could only hope that the group didn't write her off without giving her time to talk. Although given how these two had handled her she assumed those chances were bleak.

Silence filled the air around the three as they moved swiftly down the road. The Hyundai jumped every so often when Rick couldn't swerve out of the way of some unknown object lying in the road. Of course she had a good guess as to what that could be. Every so often she'd here a muffled whimper in the far back of the vehicle. At least they hadn't tied her up completely, unlike the third passenger.

"I'm sorry about, Shane." Rick said briefly, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "He's had it rough these past few weeks," he stated with a hint of hesitancy in his voice. Once again he was making rationalizations to those around him and himself for Shane's subpar behavior. She shrugged at his excuse not at all sure why he was informing her of his partner's struggle. The silence surrounded them again as the woman continued to sit there blinded to the world. "You got a name?" He asked her as the Hyundai jolted for the fifth time on this dark trip.

"Kyra," she said bluntly, tilting her head towards the sound of his voice.

"I'm Rick," he shot back, with a nod that she couldn't see. His voice held the serious undertones of a man doing his best to figure out just who they'd taken into custody.

**Reviews are always appreciated!**


	3. The Good Left Undone

**Panic's Note**: Alright guys welcome to chapter 3! I hope you're as excited for this chapter as I am. This has all truly been an adventure to write. I hope you all continue to love this story. Although, I doubt there'd be any stopping me from continuing at this point =P

To all of those following the story, thank you. You're continued support is loved!

To those who reviewed thank you so very very much.

So let's get this show on the road!

_The framework for the basis of this chapter that coincides with Judge, Jury, Executioner has been slightly altered to go along better with this piece. I claim my creative license on this one!_

**Disclaimer still applies.**

**Chapter 3: The Good Left Undone**

Kyra stood silently with her backside pressed to the Hyundai. Her posture tensed as she waited. The bright sun beamed down on her as she squinted to block out the light. Rick had removed the blindfold only moments ago. She had expected to see more than an empty porch to an older boarded up country home. The white paint had peeled back from the wood to reveal its grainy texture. At this point in time that's what she found her attention narrowed in on. It took every fiber in her not to snatch the keys from Shane and run. It had to beat this uncomfortable silence, even if it was impossible. Her mind couldn't seem to process the fact that she wouldn't be running this time. She was going to have to tempt her fears and power through her weaknesses.

"How're we goin' about this, Rick?" Shane called from behind. Kyra kept her gaze plastered to its current fixation. It wasn't really all that interesting, yet it was a distraction. A part of her wanted to block out their words. She didn't want to know their plans for her. She didn't want to know what they had planned for the kid still tied up in the back of the crossover. She just didn't want to know. It was as simple as that. The more she knew, the more desperate her situation would get, and if it came down to that she wasn't sure what her reaction would be.

"Depends." Rick answered with a stiff shrug. Kyra glanced to the strong, yet battered man still standing tall at her side. It was clear that he wouldn't be giving her any opportunities to do a thing as his pale blue eyes warily kept watch on her. At least she could be thankful that he wasn't gripping her upper arm this time. He didn't seem concerned that she was going to do anything, but then again why would he? She had basically walked into this situation without any strong objections.

"Who's she?" A new voice grunted in a very thick hick accent. Instantly, Kyra shot a glance to the side and met eyes with the owner of the voice. She breathed a sharp breath in as she took in the man approaching them. His greasy light brown hair clung to his grimy face, while his eyes shone wickedly fierce back at her. She took an unconscious step closer to Rick at the man's approach.

"Found her out by the drop site, brought her back." Shane nodded at her before coming to a stop on her opposite side. He casually leaned the majority of his weight against the car and took to fiddling with her last tool to survival. The standard issued gun glinted against the sharp sunlight. Her ice blue eyes lingered on the weapon for a moment longer before she raised her attention back to the porch.

"Hell'd you do that for?" The fierce redneck shot back with a shake of his head. He took to leaning against the banister. Kyra couldn't help but notice the crossbow slung carelessly over his broad shoulder. This only heightened her trapped feeling as a few more made their way out onto the porch.

"It ain't worth the risk-"Rick started to explain but was quickly cut off by the gasp of a dark haired woman.

"What happened?" She demanded in a tense tone as she quickly made her way down the stairs. She came to a stop at the bottom of the steps at Rick's raised hand.

"We ran into trouble along the way. Didn't getta chance to drop Randall either," Rick answered. He seemed to dismiss the worried woman's expression as he turned his attention to the group now gathered on the porch. Each of them bared the same stiff expression. "He knew more than he led on," Rick continued. He tossed an absent nod back to the Hyundai. "And we got ran out by walkers before I could come to a decision about it. So, figured we'd discuss what to do with him tonight and finish this tomorrow. It ain't right to take his life so freely."

"Why didn't you just leave him as planned?" A blonde haired woman called out. Her arms were crossed firmly over her chest as a look of disdain graced her face.

Rick stared at the woman for a moment. His expression was blank as he seemed to process the best response to her direct question. Kyra found herself taking another unconscious step towards the lean man. She knew it was only a matter of time before they inquired about her. He was the only one she felt any amount of safety with. Whether he deserved that evaluation was still a tossup, but for now she'd find strength through his.

The rest of the conversation was a complete loss to the weathered woman. She didn't have the slightest idea why everyone was so riled by Randall's return. Yet, she was glad that up to this point not a single one of them seemed too interested in her apart from the redneck. His sharp eyes hadn't left her since he'd noticed her. A slight shudder ran down her spine when he pushed himself away from the wall. She hadn't realized just how focused her staring had got until his sudden movement dragged her back to reality. She felt every bit a deer in front of headlights as her attention shifted back to the conversation within the group.

"We'll lock him back in the barn, Daryl." Rick noted, tossing the redneck a nod. "See if you can figure just what he's got that was worth callin' out. I ain't about to make the same mistake twice." He shifted his weight onto his right leg and glanced from Kyra to Shane.

"Take 'er too?" Daryl asked gruffly, nodding in her direction.

Kyra found herself doing her best not to allow her mouth to fall open at his question. Now it was clear what the fierce stare was for. He had assumed she was being tacked on to the list of hostages for this group and he was all too willing to toss her in with Randall. She didn't know the kid, but she knew enough to conclude that they were not at all one in the same. He'd wronged this group on some level, yet she hadn't. Where did that come off as her being an equal to the kid?

"For now, at least 'til we figure out if there's a connection between them." Rick gave him a tight nod in return. She quickly retreated away from the man who she had tried to garner strength from only a few moments ago. This action, of course, only brought her closer to his aggressive partner still fiddling with her weapon. Her ice blue eyes darted about the group hoping to find someone in the mix who opposed this idea as much as she did. Yet she received no support from any of them. Their wary faces only strengthened Rick's decision.

"No," she found herself shouting as she squared her shoulders. She may be a runner, a deserter, but she was by no means a passive hostage. She took in a deep breath and forced away the tremble that threatened to grow into a noticeable one as the entire group focused on her. She shook her head in defiance of the decision, while her brain worked out the best follow up to her out cry. "None of you have the right to hold me against my will. I have no idea what he," she stated calmly, gesturing to the car behind her with a shaky hand. "Did to you, but I wasn't a part of it. For Christ's sake, I don't even know the kid's name." Kyra found herself pushed even farther back against the crossover as Daryl shook his head and moved to grab her wrist. "I have made it too far to die at the hands of paranoia," she added through gritted teeth. Her entire being seeping into her words as she did her best to remain perfectly still. This was her one chance to call on her confidence. She owed it to herself to at least fight back against this sentence. Those words had to prove something to these people! She cautiously glanced about the group to gain a response from the least likely member.

"She's got a point, man." Shane spoke, breaking the tense silence that had followed her calculated opposition. Kyra turned her head to the man and frowned. He had to be playing at something. Yet, his expression looked solemn. His hand still clasped around her weapon.

"What's that?" Rick asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"She didn't shoot," Shane stated simply as he pushed away from the crossover and handed the gun to Rick. "Found it on the truck's floorboard. Had four rounds still loaded in it." He shook his head and glanced off to the fields. "We gave her every chance to use the damn thing too." A look of disgust crossed his face before he walked away from the group leaving them all in the same tense silence.

"Daryl, take Randall back out to the barn." Rick finally spoke. His voice heavier than before as his eyes stayed focused on the gun in his hands.

Daryl didn't say another word or challenge his command. The hunter simply heaved the crossbow back into place on his shoulder and made his way back around the crossover. The sound of a weak struggle created the only noise as he went about getting the kid back to the barn.

"Don't give me a reason to toss ya in with him." Rick stated. His pale blue eyes locked with hers as he did his best to come off as intimidating. "I don't know you. So don't be getting any ideas out here. I mind mine and you, yours. Understood?" Kyra nodded at his blunt words. She was being given the right to some freedom for now and that was as much as she'd ask for.

"The more the merrier," Andrea sighed, with a shake of her head as she moved off to follow Shane.

The rest of the day flew by in a blur. She managed to meet quite a few of the survivors, although each of them regarded her only briefly in passing. All of them seemed very wary with her presence. Their guarded words and forced smiles were enough to tell her that she wasn't going to be welcomed by anyone. No doubt the majority of them still viewed her as some sort of hostage. She could only shake off their rejection and appreciate it. Kyra preferred the distance they were building between themselves and her. It would make her leaving that much easier. Plus, it would keep her from looking back on her desertion as she often did when it came to her former group. She'd seen enough loses in life to ever want to travel with a group much less stay with one.

Kyra was allowed one of the creature comforts she'd long forgotten. The warm water of the shower was enough to still her ever growing nerves. It was the first semblance of the former world she'd seen since the epidemic started. In fact, she'd almost been entirely convinced that such comforts were forever lost. Until the moment she set foot in their bathroom. She could've stayed there forever, but she didn't. She washed away as much of the dried blood and dirt as she could before pulling on the few articles of clothing she had left. The last outfit she had packed on that life altering day.

Lori, who had been the only one to attempt to be kind with her, had offered her some of her spare clothes. Yet, Kyra had politely refused the offer. It was almost too generous of the woman, even if she seemed to be demonstrating the kindness out of show more than anything. She was a pretty woman and something told Kyra that her ties within the group were much deeper than she could possibly fathom. So, Kyra made sure to approach her with nothing but outright politeness. In a way she had respect for the woman. Through this entire event she still held some sort of dignity and roots with the world they all grew up in. Not to mention the fact that she was married to the strength of this group.

Kyra tapped her hand absently on the banister of the porch. Her bright eyes stared down on her truck, while she tried her best to hear the exchange of words within the room a few feet away. The door tightly shut proved to be the only thing keeping her out of the deep discussion. She already knew what they'd be talking about. It really didn't take much effort on her part as Randall and she were the only two problems facing the group. Their options, as they always tended to be, were limited. Kyra could only hope that they found it in themselves to let her go. That's all she wanted. Well, that and whatever they'd taken from her few supplies. She could clearly see the tarp thrown to the side in the bed of her truck. Someone had already searched everything she possessed high and low. No doubt grabbing whatever they thought useful and leaving the rest.

Within the span of one day she'd stumbled upon hostile survivors, was taken hostage by said survivors, was almost locked up upon meeting the rest of them, and now stood under close watch while they deliberated exactly what to do with her. She sighed as she tossed a tired glance back at the door. Daryl and Shane both keeping their attention pulled between the conversation and her. Of course, Kyra had no intentions of running away this time. She had no idea where they were and wasn't about to set off randomly down the road much less into the swamp. They'd taken every resource she had, which left her even more hopeless as far as any attempts at a quick escape went. The sound of the door banging open dragged her away from her depressed thoughts. Her eyes shifting to meet the gaze of Daryl who wore a scowl as he made his way towards the stairs.

"'Course I get ta fuckin' babysit. Let's go, lady." He growled, taking the steps two at a time. "I ain't gonna repeat m'self," Kyra blinked at his harsh words and stared at him. He couldn't possibly be asking her to follow him. Yet, he was. That much was made clear to her when he turned to climb back up the stairs with a much more threatening look tight across his face. "Ya deaf?" He hollered back to her. His voice raised in mock of her dazed look and utter confusion.

Slowly, Kyra moved away from the bannister to follow him. She wasn't going to challenge the disgruntled hunter. She tossed a desperate glance back to the windowed door and sighed. All the others were still immersed in their discussion. She was shit out of luck this time and there was no hope of getting out of it. Clearly the group had decided that she'd be watched over by Daryl for the night,

She soon found herself leaning tiredly against a weathered tree as he eyes dully watched Daryl slice into a branch with the edge of his hunting knife. Neither of them had engaged the other in any form of conversation since leaving the house. It reminded her of the ride back with Rick. Yet this one was much less tense. Daryl seemed completely content with chiseling away at his homemade arrows, while Kyra watched on in silence. Although, he did toss her a sharp glare every now and then. Obviously, he wasn't about to let her forget just how unhappy he was with this situation. After all she had a feeling that she had blocked him from taking part in whatever the choice had been for Randall given the fact that he was escorted twice from his holding cell in the barn within seeing distance of them. If she'd cared to start something with him she could've rolled her eyes at his pointed glares, but she didn't. She just wanted to sleep at this point. But the man sitting across from her was enough to keep her eyes peeled open.

She allowed the eerie silence of the field to occupy her mind as she tried to clear her thoughts. This was the first time in a very long time that she was given the chance to let her mind relax. All of her haunting memories threatening to make themselves known were cleared away as she welcomed the silence and cool breeze of the Georgia night. She needed this more than anything as her eyes finally fell away from the man still hard at work with his arrows.

"Ya ain't goin' walker on me, are ya?" Daryl's deep voice cut through the silence and her calm as he roughly pushed her foot with his own. "I seen that look before right 'fore I drilled one o' these through its skull." His eyes conveyed the fact that he was only half messing with her as they scanned her body. Most of which was covered by her loose black t-shirt and dark worn jeans.

"I liked you better when you muttered curses and didn't speak." Kyra sighed with a roll of her eyes. There would be no peace with Daryl keeping guard. Obviously, that would be another declaration of his upmost hate for this assignment. Not that she wanted sleep, just a moment of peace.

"Crazy lady," Daryl grunted, before turning back to the fresh cut thick branch at his side. His body language displayed just how awkward he found that comeback. She smirked at this revelation with satisfaction. A part of her had half expected him to come back at her with rage, yet he didn't.

"That's more like it." She laughed slightly, which earned her yet another glare.

The satisfaction in catching Daryl in his own game was short lived as a frantic yell broke through the silence of the night. Immediately, Kyra staggered to her feet. Her eyes wide as adrenaline coursed through her veins. Her thoughts focusing back in on running, while she watched Daryl take off towards the sound with a knife in hand. He didn't even toss her a glance or call out to her as he went. The dusty ground kicked up in a cloud around his heavy calculated footfalls. His crossbow laid uselessly on the ground in his wake.

Kyra didn't think to grab it, even though she knew she needed a weapon. Another yell cut through the cold air like a knife, prompting her to move. Her feet stumbled over the rough terrain as she tore off back towards the house. She didn't think to take another route, which would lead her away from the rest. Yet in this frenzy none of them seemed to notice her slender form running against their direction. She could hardly make out Rick's form as he dashed across the field quite a distance away from her. Luck was one her side tonight. Shane was following quickly behind him. The rest of the group was doing their best to follow as she came to a stumbling stop by her truck. Her hand reached for the handle, but retreated when it dawned on her. The keys were with Shane. She let out a frustrated sigh and slammed the heel of her hand into the door. She winced at the harsh hit. The silence that surrounded the farm pulled her from her destructive thoughts. Not a single gunshot echoed through the night. No other sounds of a struggle could be heard either, just the same eerie silence from before. So was she running from walkers or survivors?

She glanced back in the direction of the chaos from before and frowned. One lone figure was rushing back towards the farm. The smaller frame quickly announced it as the other kid in the group, Glen. "We need help," he shouted, drawing closer. Kyra snapped out of her daze and quickly shot a glance into the bed of her truck. The medical bag still sat where she'd left it. The faded logo stained by blood just barely noticeable in the moon's light. She sucked in a deep breath before yanking it out. She didn't have the time to contemplate why they'd left that in her truck or if they'd even been through her truck. She didn't have the time to fully understand why she was leaping to help now when only moments ago she wanted to leave the damned place. She couldn't question her contradictory actions or her growing doubts. None of it mattered as she dashed off across the field. Her former civic duty reawakened in her with each fast step that hit the ground. Her hands fumbled with the outer zipper and dug in to pull out a pair of teal tinted latex gloves. The rush of running to someone's aide raised her spirit slightly. It was a glimpse at her former life. The good she had done in the world before it went to hell.

Kyra came stumbling onto the scene short of breath as her eyes easily found the target for all the distress. Rick was knelt over the gutted man. His body tensed as he looked miserably down at the fallen hero. Lori and Carl were in a tight embrace. The mother shielded the view of the scene from her child as she watched on in a shocked horror. Andrea hovered over his injury as her face twisted into a pained expression. Her tears marking the untold love she held for the father-figure now panting in pain. Shane stared down at Dale with a carefully placed blank stare. His own agony was clear in his deep dark eyes. His gaze shot to her, the medical bag, and back to Dale as if prompting her to move. Yet he didn't feel it necessary to announce her arrival. Daryl stood in complete silence. His hand smeared with some residual black blood from the walker lying a foot away from Dale. The knife hung loosely from it as he stared down at the man sadly. He had been a few seconds too late.

Kyra stood frozen to the spot. Her gloved hand dropped the bag carelessly as she stared blankly at the scene. All of it was too familiar to her as a long forgotten memory threatened to resurface. She could feel the sting of tears, before blinking them back. She seemed the most calm out of the group of onlookers, while frozen in her own world. The walls that had blocked out her haunting memories crumbled at the sight of the gutted man.

_The sirens blared announcing the ambulance to those around them. The streets of Atlanta were now littered with the living and the dead. Kyra sat anxiously behind the steering wheel. Her ice blue eyes shot in an attempt to keep focused on any obstacle that might present itself. She could hear the few people around her scream as she nailed into another one of them. Them. That was the best way to define those who'd fallen to the disease. If that's what you could call this. It had all happened so fast. Too fast. No pathogen worked at the rates this one did._

_"Kyra, stop the fucking bus!" Sean bellowed, grabbing tightly to her shoulder and giving it a harsh squeeze._

"Where's Herschel? We can save him. He can save him!" Rick shouted, his head shifting back towards the house. "Hold on, Dale." He reassured the groaning man.

"No." Kyra stated dryly. Her head shook weakly at her dead words. She knew the outcome of this injury all too well. Rick's attention shot to her, then to the medical bag haphazardly opened revealing the supplies within, before returning to her. "He's…gone" she added with as much conviction as she could manage. The memory still forced its way to the forefront of her mind shielding her from the latest trauma.

_"We've lost. Atlanta's lost. It's all lost. There's nothing more we can do!" Kyra shrieked, tears falling down her horror struck face. The ambulance was now speeding towards the exit ramp as she slammed down on the gas pedal._

_"I said stop the fucking bus!" Sean yelled with more force as he clamped down even harder on her small shoulder. Kyra winced, the pain pulling her from her panic ridden state. The ambulance slowly began to roll to a stop as the walkers moved in around it. All of them caked in fresh blood, many with wounds still gaping open sickeningly in view for those still living to see._

_"Look at me." Sean said forcefully. Kyra turned to face him. Her tear streaked face growing paler at the sight of a very mangled walker slamming mindlessly into the passenger side door. It left a trail of contaminated blood dripping on the window before it slammed into the door again._

_"Look at me, Kyra." Sean called again, but this time in a soothing tone. Slowly, Kyra brought her frantic gaze to his. "You knew the risks when you signed up for this. That's the sacrifice we're all willing to make," he said quietly. "Those people need our help. We might not understand this, but we can't just abandon them." The ambulance tipped as more walkers started to slam into it. "Shit!" The man cursed, grabbing onto the passenger seat for balance._

"Help him!" Rick shouted. His voice was now thick with emotion as he stumbled away from Dale and towards Kyra. Her chestnut hair hung loosely around her face as she stared distantly down at Dale from a far. Rick roughly grabbed her arm yanking her back to the present. "Do something!" His pained face conveyed his fleeting hope that he refused to let die.

"I can't. The wounds are too severe." She muttered in a daze. She shook her head sadly at both the man before her and those she'd lost. It was a painful thing for her to relive and one that was threatening to push her into a form of shock she'd never experienced. The repressed memory still fighting for her attention as Rick gripped tighter to her arm.

"Don't say that. We can patch him up. We gotta!" Rick shouted forcefully, his grip growing stronger with each word he spoke. Kyra didn't have it in her to fight back or push him away. What little bit of sanity she had created for herself was being blown away. Yet she remained perfectly clam. Almost too clam as she continued to shake her head.

"He won't make it." She reiterated.

"She's right. He's beyond any of our help." Herschel agreed breathlessly. Glen and Maggie followed not too far behind him. "He won't make it back to the house."

Rick had led Kyra, without protest, closer to the dying man, which only caused the tears welling in her eyes to become more pressing. The first of them sliding down her cheek as Rick let out a grief ridden yell. His whole form showed his emotions as he turned away from the dying man and knelt to the grassy earth. Kyra could hardly notice his own slip on reality or the loose hand that still gripped desperately onto her arm. In that moment it didn't matter that they were essentially enemies. He was using her for the same reasons she'd stayed close to him earlier that day. He needed strength, which had vanished the moment he saw Dale lying in a pool of his own blood from his ripped open abdomen. This was real. They were all in mortal danger. Nothing and no place was safe. Yet Kyra managed to keep absolutely calm in the face of it all despite it all. Her silent tears were the only mark that she felt anything towards this. Even if she was numb, she was still standing, still moving, still fighting, still torn between the good and bad, the right and wrong.

"He's in pain." Andrea choked out. Her tear coated statement getting everyone's attention. Rick rose back to his feet. His hand dropped away from Kyra finally as he retrieved his gun from its holster. His pale blue eyes squinting back the tears he refused to cry. The gun shook in his unsteady hand as he aimed at Dale's head. Although it was clear that the rugged leader couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger.

Daryl easily removed the gun from Rick's hand and lowered himself to one knee. The gun now gently rested against the dying man's head.

"Sorry, brother." Daryl stated sympathetically before pulling the trigger. Not once flinching at the sight of it.

Silence surrounded the group again after the echo of the shot died away. Kyra's focus was somewhere off in the swamp just beyond the fencing. Her eyes only briefly took into account the torn apart cow within five feet. What she had witnessed was the first sign of a family that she'd seen. They had bonded as a group and found it in themselves to trust each other. They found it in themselves to care for each other. Not a single one of them stared at Dale without some sort of emotion clear on their face. She wasn't sure how to view any of this. It was overpowering to her. A part of her now desperately clung to this shattered group despite her innate need to run. She hadn't stopped running since that day. Yet the urge to do so now was dwindling.

"We'll dig a grave for him tomorrow," Rick finally spoke. His voice was now raspy from his loud display of emotions. "Pay our respects," he added with a tight nod. "Walkers are getting closer to the farm. Let this be our wake up call." Rick did his best to keep a straight face at his words. They all needed to hear it despite its harsh reality. "Dale ain't gonna die in vain."

Kyra numbly walked back to the medical bag and hastily slipped off her gloves. She threw them carelessly on top before fumbling with the zipper. Her frantic pulls working to no avail as the bag rattled noisily on the dried grass. She was so consumed by her internal battle that she didn't notice him until his hand had stilled hers.

"It ain't worth breakin' this over." Daryl mumbled awkwardly, moving her hands aside to complete the task for her. Kyra tried to force a smile onto her blank face, but failed. Reality had its harsh ways of making itself known. Especially when it contradicted everything she'd thought survival meant.

"Sorry." Kyra mumbled in return, while slowly rising back to her feet. Daryl grunted back at her before heaving the medical bag over his shoulder. Both of them turned back to face the group that still hung around miserably. Each of them took their time to turn back to the house. None of them seemed as wary around her as they had before. Her attempt at medical help hadn't gone unnoticed by any of them.

"Kyra, I think it's time you told us more." Rick called to her. His tone wasn't accusing in nature, but rather grateful.

**Reviews are valued and appreciated!**


	4. Little by Little

**Panic's Note**: Alright guys let's keep this moving! I hope it continues to be an enjoyable piece.

To those of you who have added this piece to your alerts and/or favs, thank you. I'm blown away by the support it has been getting.

To those of you who reviewed, thank you. You're continued response is appreciated. All reviews are valued and considered.

Motivation is a means to inspiration, at least that's my philosophy. So thank you to those of you reading! It doesn't go unnoticed.

**Disclaimer still applies.**

The show must go on!

_This chapter will follow "Better Angels". It has been mildly altered to fit alongside this piece. Any lines that you recognize do not belong to me. They're just being borrowed for my own pleasure._

**Chapter 4: Little by Little**

The sound of feet scuffing against the dry soil broke the uneasy silence of the group. All eyes were torn between looking to their leader or the latest grave now plotted alongside the others. Its jumbled collage of rocks formed a barrier around the fresh turned earth. Kyra's gaze however remained enthralled with the ground by her feet. The little chips of leaves, gravel, and dirt creating an intricate puzzle. At least that was her thoughts as Rick finally began to speak again. This wasn't a place or event she felt a part of, yet she couldn't avoid it. She owed the man that much respect regardless of how little she'd spoken with him.

"He said we were broken. That we'd lost touch with our own humanity." Rick's voice drew the attention of the group, as his gaze drifted down the line. His pale blue eyes conveying just how much those words meant to him and the impact he wanted the group to feel from them. Kyra shifted her blank gaze back to the stern face of their rugged leader. Her dull eyes searched for the meaning behind the power in his words. She could only vaguely assume what he was talking about. She hadn't been given the right to know about any of the struggles within the group. His words from the night before only proved his wary acceptance of her to the group.

"The best way we can honor him is through proving him wrong." Rick forced out with fierce conviction, his tone stressing the fact. His intense gaze finally came to rest on Kyra, causing her to quickly avert her focus back to the grave. The look he gave her spoke of his own doubts concerning her. She could only assume that her place within this group was partly in gratitude towards her desire to help Dale as much as it was to prove him wrong. At this point she felt every bit the route back to humanity that Rick now seemed desperate to accomplish.

Kyra pushed back her own fleeting emotions as the group around her began to disperse. Her blank stare still rested on the fresh grave as she thought of all the people she'd never get to say a proper good-bye to. None of this showed on her face though. Her walls had built back into place and closed her off from those deep rooted emotions. There would never be a time for her to revisit those. Last night would be the last breech they'd make in her mind. She had to fight and to do so she'd have to forget. Right now she had to focus on her safety, however small it was. She'd spent the rest of the previous night with a highly alert Daryl, who seemed torn between the loss of a man he could've saved and the walkers that could still be out there. Neither of them had even contemplated sleep as they kept their eyes narrowed in on the grassy field.

"You're with us." Daryl grunted, awkwardly patting her shoulder as he walked by. The contact dragged Kyra from her mindless stare. She twisted around to catch sight of Daryl now standing alongside Shane, T-Dog, and Andrea. All of them looked back at her with impatience. She shook her head, clearing her foggy thoughts, before slowly making her way over to them.

"'Bout damn time." Shane grumbled, turning back around to yank open the door to the faded blue pickup. "Don't got all day to wait for you to get outta la la land," he added as Andrea made her way around the truck.

"I didn't realize I was supposed to be tagging along for whatever the hell it is you're doing." Kyra muttered back with the same aggravated intensity that Shane had shot at her. Her mind raced to push past the fog that clouded her thinking. There wasn't time for her to feel lifeless. She had to focus on whatever it was this small party was about to do. Of course, it had to be led by Shane. He was the one member of the group that she truly couldn't read. He'd seem agreeable one second and completely offensive the next. The few times he'd spoken with her were hostile at best. It was clear to see his mistrust and outright opposition towards her.

"Just get in." He grumbled, blowing off her comeback with one of his classic shrugs. Kyra bit back any other remarks as she climbed in. Her slender body pressed tightly against the side of the door as she joined Daryl and T-Dog in the back. No other words were exchanged as the old truck roared to life. She looked out the window hoping to find some indication as to what she was being dragged out to do. Yet Rick stood facing away from them. His posture still notably tense, while he spoke with Lori. She tossed a glance at the rest of the group now set to work on breaking down the camp a ways from the house. Somehow she had the sinking feeling that their task wasn't going to be a pleasant one.

"So where are you from?" Andrea asked, breaking the silence in the truck. Kyra shifted uncomfortably in her tight position, while her eyes remained glued to the field rolling by in a blur. Of all times for Andrea to inquire about her past, she had to choose now. Not to mention the fact that all ears were tuned to her response. She could feel their focus narrowed in on her.

"D.C." She answered, not breaking her gaze from the window and the dead world outside of it.

"Whatcha doing down 'ere?" Daryl interjected with a snort. His question clearly marked his amusement with her place of origin.

"Came down for a conference," Kyra sighed, letting her forehead fall the extra inch to rest against the cool glass. Her internal will to block out the past wavering slightly at the prying. She could only hope that this trip wasn't aimed at getting her to talk. She barely had it in herself to keep going in this dead state. That blow from the other night had hit her hard. A part of her was now closed off from feeling anything this world had left to throw at her.

"Is it still standing?' Andrea asked, a hint of hope etching her words.

"I wouldn't know. Everything started spiraling out of control when I got to Atlanta." Kyra admitted with a sigh. She was already convinced that there was no safe haven out there. To her it was a waste of time to believe in such trivial places when all contact was lost, no rescue was sent, and no response was given in any form.

"You got medical training?" Shane asked, for once his tone was neutral.

"Yeah," Kyra answered bluntly. Her eyes still fixed to the fields that were speeding through. There was no reason for her to elaborate on any of it. The best they were going to get out of her was a brief background. She didn't find it necessary to drill them, so she could only hope they'd do the same regarding her. Nothing concerning any of their pasts mattered now either way.

"Make a point to keep ya around then." The truck pulled to a rough stop, jolting Kyra forward. She let out a muffled grunt as her head met with the back of the driver's seat. "Let's do this," Shane stated, his voice betraying the tight smile on his bruised face. Kyra was still trying to regain her focus when her eyes caught sight of the reason for such a quick stop. A few yards away from them was a gutted cow being devoured by walkers. Each of them ripped into the fresh kill with eager bony hands. Their pale skin torn, mangled, half bitten, and rotting as the high sun beamed down on them. She instantly felt a wave of nausea seize her stomach. The nature of the dead was repulsive and a sight she hadn't seen in a while. Yet she doubted that she could ever truly overcome the sickness in their actions.

Apparently they were a scouting party with intent to knock out any stranded walkers on the property and she had been included among the ranks. She blinked at the sight and shook her head. There had to be some mistake in this plan. She was not only weaponless, but by no means a fighter. It was no wonder the rest of the group was considerably tougher than the rest. She finally composed herself enough to notice that the others had already filed out of the truck. Andrea stood with a pitch fork in hand and Shane with a shovel, while Daryl held the crossbow at the ready and T-Dog a flattened shovel. She took in a shaky breath before half falling out of the truck, while doing her best to look unfazed.

"Here," Shane called, with a hint of annoyance entering his voice again. Kyra didn't have enough time to say anything as cool metal touched her palm. Her eyes fell to the crowbar now gripped tightly in her right hand. "Seemed to be your weapon of choice on the road. Why don't you show us how to use it?" He smirked, his shaved head shook in a doubtful manner. His facial expression alone screamed to her that he had little faith in her fighting abilities and rightfully so.

"Look, Shane." she started, once again she chased the tremble from her voice. "This," She waved the crowbar in disgust. "Has got to be a joke. You and I both know using this would be a last resort weapon."

"Then make believe, girl. Cause I find it very hard to buy into this innocent act you're tryin' to sell us." Shane challenged, his eyes growing cold as they pierced into hers. "You're hiding something and it ain't foolin' me. Don't play me for a fool either. It'd take a blind man to overlook last night." He growled, his voice dropping in volume. "They want proof that you're more than some sad excuse for a survivor. I'd reckon you'd show 'em that." With those sharp words, he turned away. "We got enough of those to have you draggin' us down farther." His shot her a tense look before finally making his way towards the walkers. His words hanging heavily in the air, while Kyra watched on in stunned silence.

Her arm wielding the crowbar hung loosely at her side. Her eyes darted from all three of them before falling back to the crowbar. She flexed her wrist a few times as she tried to get a feel for the object now in her grasp. She knew the group had no right in trusting her, but this was beyond a fair trial. Shane was begging for her to do something not only stupid and risky, yet something that could easily get her killed. In that moment she knew he held only contempt for her. The motive behind his actions was plain to see as he tilted his head back to her. His dark eyes presented a hollow man before her. Just like her there was more to it than what met the eye. He was a hypocrite in every sense of the word as he tried to force her demons out.

"Don't make me provoke them!" Shane called back to her in a volume that did just that. The sound instantly called the attention away from the skeletal remains of the cow, while the walkers reached and grasped at the air before them. Their withering bodies stumbling across the ground as they rushed towards the hunters. Sickening wheezes, snaps, and gurgling broke Kyra's attention away from the twisted man who still stood by waiting.

Kyra glanced around the group desperately, yet none of them moved to kill the stray walkers. This was a trial of her strengths and worth to the group. She'd walked into her own death trap without so much as asking beforehand. Nothing could've prepared her for this, but a warning would've been nice. She had stepped up to help last night and this was her thanks. Rick left Shane with the power to choose her worth and this was his plan. After all this couldn't be Rick's doing. Kyra had somehow, despite everything that had happened in the last day, come to somewhat trust in the leader. He had a sense of rationality that no one else she'd encountered did. He was a strength that she could build off of. Rick was the first one to actually present a weakness to her without fear or remorse. He cared about this group and that was more than could be said for anyone else.

The scuffling of grass brought her from her jumbled thoughts. The crowbar still laid helplessly at her side as one of the walkers came crashing towards her. Its bloodied hands grasped at her eagerly. Its clouded teal eyes stared at her blankly, but with a sick desire. She instinctively took a weak step back at the walker's approach. This was enough space to dodge the creature's first swipe at her body. The skeletal hand glinting in the sun as it narrowly missed its target. She sucked in a sharp breath, while struggling to gain some sense of the situation. The sickening sounds of punctured tissue and crunch of bones echoed through the field. All the others were holding their own against the rest, which left her to fend for herself. Kill or be killed. It was ultimately her decision regardless of the odds Shane had purposefully stacked against her.

The walker made another hasty grab for her. Kyra quickly moved back again, but not fast enough to miss it. She'd never been this close to one of them without her gun. That small fact had been enough to throw her for a few seconds, which came at a price. She held back a cry as the bloody hand tightened around her wrist. The pain was enough to spark a reaction from the troubled woman. It was enough to send her reeling back to drive the crowbar into the bastard's head. It was enough to send the wicked creature falling to the floor with a sick thump. The crowbar now hung dripping with toxic black blood as Kyra stood taking in deep breaths. Her wild eyes now trained on the man who was the cause to this mess.

"There's your proof, asshole." She growled fiercely, her usual calm and restrained temper now flared after the life or death situation. "Try harder if you want to kill me, because those things won't. They haven't yet and today is no exception." She added, before tossing the crowbar at his feet. Her outburst wasn't unnoticed by the other three. Their eyes were all trained to her. Kyra wanted to regret her words, but couldn't. Her own hollow self finally rising to action to counter that of another. Her life was still worth fighting for no matter how little it was worth to those around her.

Shane snorted at her words and shook his head again. His shoulder heaved as he retrieved his shovel from the head of a walker. His eyes finally drifted to the crowbar, to her, to the walker, and then to the rest of the group. Kyra stood absolutely rigid as her chest still rose and fell noticeably.

"Keep movin'!" Shane grumbled, nodding back towards the truck. He didn't have the decency to counter her words. They all knew it was the truth. Either she would prove she could handle herself, or die trying. It made no difference to the man calling the shots.

"Ya alright?" Daryl grunted, sliding onto the seat. He tossed her an awkward, yet concerned look. Kyra managed a weak nod. She climbed into the truck with a sigh. Her momentary aggression now lost, while she looked miserably down at the ring of blood on her wrist. Her other hand massaged circles on it as she did her best to see if the skin had been broken.

"You better not've been scratched." T-Dog stated on edge, his words bringing attention back to her.

"It'd figure," Shane chuckled darkly from the driver's seat. His dark eyes staring intensely back at her from the rearview mirror. "Well?" he asked when her gaze finally drifted to it.

"No," she winced as she wiped the dried blood away with her shirt. "Just a bruise," she reassured with a slight nod. Her ice blue eyes shot to Daryl when he grabbed her wrist for his own inspection, while she repressed any sounds of pain. His fierce eyes analyzed the wound carefully before releasing it.

"She ain't lying." Daryl shot her another strained look before shifting his gaze off into the distance in front of the truck. She had no idea the toll all of this was taking on the quiet hunter. His expression only heightened the fact that he was as torn as the rest of them. Although a part of her wanted to believe that his strained look represented some sense of compassion. Yet again she was left wondering just what the man had gone through in life. The welcomed break in her thoughts were short lived, however when the truck pulled to another quick stop.

Kyra found herself drifting along the backside of the house later that day. Her thoughts all vying for a chance, a notice, a answer of some kind. Her eyes fell back to the nasty bruise encircling her wrist. It was her mark of trust in Shane's eyes. It had been enough to convince the group that she could be allowed a little more freedom. Daryl had gone off on his own to patch up the barn. He seemed so desperate to get away from all of them and Kyra couldn't blame him for that. Although she did oddly enough miss his presence. He had proved to be the closest thing to a friend out of the lot of them despite the fact that he rarely spoke. Shane, after begrudgingly approving of her, had gone off to patch up their security line fencing. Rick, who had only nodded and said a few words, was off doing some work which most likely involved Randall. The rest didn't seem to care enough to notice her now pacing around outside the house. She had wanted the silence and space, yet now that she had it she wished she'd never left the house.

Things had been so much easier when she was on her own. There were reasons for her lack of interest in groups. These attachments that were forming ever so slowly would hurt her in the end. She knew it, yet there was no escape. She found it hard to even contemplate leaving, even though she felt she had a good grasp on the group dynamics. This group was self-destructive. There was no other nice way of putting it. The funeral had been tense. The strain over Dale's death hadn't passed her by completely unnoticed. The fight she witnessed between the two leading figures of the group. This all spoke of the nature of this group. It was worse off than her former group, yet at the same time stronger. There was no clear leave or stay option for her and that alone was scary.

She found herself sitting up against a nearby tree when her thoughts finally came to an end. The paths she'd driven over and over in her mind resolved as she leaned her head back against the thick trunk. Her eyes fluttered as she did her best to stay awake. All of it was starting to finally build on her. She had been weak to start with, but this past day had pushed her past her limits. She had faced more of her own limitation in the past day than she had over the expanse of this entire ordeal. She took in a calming breath allowing the added air to clear her mind. The fogginess was setting back in now that the initial threat had diminished, or maybe it was just exhaustion. She could hardly tell the difference given everything.

"Kyra," a deep southern voice pulled her away from the inevitable sleep she had almost fallen into. She jerked her head at the intrusion on the welcomed silence. The deep circles under her eyes only personified her struggling grips with consciousness as she titled her head towards the voice. The man now standing before her caused her to quickly stumble back to her feet.

"Yeah, Rick?" She questioned, rubbing the back of her neck from leaning against the trunk for too long. This earned her a slight smile from her visitor. "Everything alright?"

"Last time I checked." Rick nodded, before glancing back to the fields beyond them. "'Course we're plannin' on dropping Randall for good this time, so that might be short lived."

"Oh." Kyra mumbled, not at all sure what to say to that. She wasn't aware of the circumstances surrounding Randall and didn't really care to know. It was better left out of sight, out of mind. He was still partially to blame for all of this anyway. So it was very hard for her to want to help the kid out.

"That's not why I'm out here though. I came to return something of yours." Rick stated, his eyes drifting back to her. It seemed like he was searching for some kind of confirmation in the depths of her tired eyes. "It ain't right for me to leave anyone out here without protection of some kind." Kyra nodded at his words. "I've got no reason to trust you." He shook his head sadly, pinching the bridge of his nose, before retrieving her gun from the back of his belt. The black paint glinted in the evening sunlight. "But I also have no proof that you mean us harm." Kyra smiled faintly at the sight of her one true weapon. No matter how poor her aim might be it was still a glimmer of strength to her. It represented her will to survive, although it did mark another representation that she rarely thought of. "And I can't promise anyone safety. We're all fighting the same odds out here." Finally, he placed the gun back in her hand.

"Thanks." Kyra muttered, tilting the gun in her hand. "I'm sorry for whatever strain I've placed on you," she added, with a shake of her head. "You really should've just let me pass by. This isn't my way of survival." She glanced back up to him. The abruptness of her tone and intensity in her eyes marked her actual thoughts. The words were much harsher than she wanted them to be, but she was sick of going unheard. There was no telling when she'd get this chance to vocalize her opinion to Rick again. "I was safe enough on my own. Groups attract them. Groups attack each other." Rick's face fell at her words, but he nodded all the same.

"I didn't give you that right and I apologize for it. I can't ask you to understand where I'm comin' from, but I want you to know that the more people we have the better our chances livin'. There's power in numbers." Rick tried his best at convincing her. His pale blue eyes pleaded with her to see the truth in his words.

"No, Rick. That's your philosophy. It's not mine. There's also struggle in numbers. You don't trust me anymore than I trust you. All I see are a lot of contradictions that don't exactly explain themselves. So why are you giving me this back?" Kyra let out a deep breath as she did her best to calm her raging thoughts. She had held back all of this until now. Maybe it was her frustration over the situation or the hostility she was still holding towards Shane. Whatever it was that had prompted her sudden shift in attitude was enough to give her a voice for once. She had finally had enough of all of them trying to dictate her survival.

"Things are going to hell. You deserve a chance just as much as I do, regardless of our differences. I ain't gonna watch another person die on account of my inattention." Rick's expression displayed the determination in his words. "Take the gun and drop it." He shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know why you'd be tryin' to get me to change my mind. Hell, I'll take it back if that's what you really want." Kyra didn't realize just how broken their leader was until that moment. She had pushed him away without giving him a chance when all he was doing was looking out for her. He cared, even though she had only been with them a day. "But mark my words when I say that I can't promise you or anyone on this damn farm protection. I wish I could, but the reality of it is that I can't. I've tried. I've really tried to make this work. But it isn't." He shook his head again, his personal stand on everything flooding out of him in a wave. Kyra looked at him blankly as he spiraled away from their original discussion into something much deeper than just handing off a gun. "It cost Dale his life for me to see that."

"That wasn't your fault." Kyra muttered, cutting him short of any more admitted faults. Her ice blue eyes trying to capture his as all of her assertive behavior drained from her. She would've stopped at 'thank you' if she had known what was really driving Rick's decision to hand her back her gun. Of course, she had chosen that moment to be self-centered instead.

"If I had dropped Randall as planned and if I'd let you go by unnoticed." He shook his head miserably as his tense shoulders finally dropped. "It all falls back on me. I'm not gonna overlook that for my own sake." Kyra nodded at his words, taking a step forward. His motives were now clearer than ever as she came to a stop before him. He was hiding his own regards just as the rest of them were.

"We can live in should've, could've, would'ves every day of our lives, but it doesn't change anything. It doesn't place you at absolute fault either. People die in this world. It's horrible and you can try your hardest to stop it, but it's going to happen. Why do you think I prefer to tough it on my own?" Kyra spoke honestly. Her head bowed at her admission, before she moved to walk past him. Her hand twitched to reach for him, but she restrained the suffocating urge to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. She had no idea what Rick needed to hear, much less what he was seeking by telling her all of this. It was a truth that she didn't want to hear from the man who presented such a strong front. Yet he was just like the rest of them fighting little by little to remain in control of a world in ruin.

"Rick! Rick! Rick! He's gone!" Kyra's head immediately shot towards the sound of T-Dog's frantic calling. Her gaze swiftly fell back on the man still facing away from her. If there ever was a bad time for the shit to hit the fan it was now.

The frantic shouts seemed to be enough to pull Rick from his momentary slip. The strong man was back in full force as he rushed past Kyra with heavy steps. Not once faltering as he pushed himself as fast as his feet would carry him back towards the front of the house. His face was once again set in a determined hard line. She could tell it was forced, but there. She doubted that the man rushing off to solve things yet again would ever allow himself to truly succumb to the tough decisions he'd made. Yet, he needed someone to look to who knew what it was like to lose all and still fight. Just as he had done the night before it seemed like he was finding a grip on reality in a woman long lost to it.

**Reviews are always appreciated and valued!**


	5. Still Running

**Panic's Note: ** Woo! Two months later, sixteen paychecks, and I could finally afford a new laptop! Word to the wise never install large games onto your laptop if your laptop isn't necessarily built to support such things. Otherwise you'll end up like me with a fried hard drive. Anyways, this story is now off hiatus, although it never really was meant to be in the first place. You guys can't even imagine how excited I am to finally be able to write again!

On another note I am thrilled by the amount of support and reviews this story has garnered to date. It makes me feel like I'm writing something compelling enough to keep you guys around, which continues to amaze me. So, as always thank you to all of you who have reviewed, favorited, and alerted this piece.

I did take the time to go back through and correct some of the more noticeable errors in my writing. So, if you're out of touch with this story it has been edited to be more appeasing if you're one of those who can't stand out of place grammar.

Anyways, I believe it is time to breathe life back into this fiction. So without further ado…

_This chapter will follow alongside Beside the Dying Fire. It has been altered to fit within the perimeters of this fic. Please enjoy!_

**Disclaimer still applies.**

**Chapter 5: Still Running**

Kyra could feel the cold sweat building on her hands as the gun slid slightly within her tight grasp. She could hardly pay attention to the loosely held weapon. Her eyes were locked to the outlining woods. The few moments of silence she'd caught hours ago were long gone from her grasp. Her features were set in a tense line only highlighting the anxiety pooling within her. She could hardly make sense out of what had happened after Rick's exchange. There wasn't much time for her to contemplate that little conversation they had much less analyze what it meant. Instead she was stuck once again with withering hope for this group. The images of a battered and bloody faced Shane still swam behind her eyes clouding her already fuzzy mind. Everything had spiraled out of control so fast. A part of her had believed in those moments leading up to this that perhaps there was something worth holding onto within this group. Especially given the turn around their appointed leader had shown her.

Her eyes fell to the gun momentarily while she tightened her hold on the weapon before shifting her gaze back to the woods. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she wasn't about to let her guard down. That much she understood. She shifted her weight between her feet briefly giving way to her own exhaustion. She'd taken to standing guard on the porch much to the rest of the group's relief and her own. None of them seemed at all thrilled that she had a gun, but nothing was said in passing when they'd rushed pass her to secure the house and property extending to the new line of battered pieced together fencing. The real fear seemed to lie in the possibility of another group of survivors coming their way. That seemed to be the greatest concern regarding Randall. That had been all she could gather about him during the chaos that followed the news of his escape.

The rustling of grass quickly dragged Kyra from her trained, yet dazed stare. She already had her index finger placed on the trigger when she realized that the nose had been cause by the light wind. She let out a tired sigh before drawing her attention back towards the area where any form of a threat might come bursting from. This was too much for her. She had half expected to see a walker or Randall coming back for some twisted form of revenge on them. Again the thought of Shane jumped to the forefront of her mind. The blood that caked his face and his slight limp were only a part of the story he told. She remembered seeing Daryl cast a look of disbelief at the injured man before Rick hastily starting throwing out instructions. She shook her head slightly trying to clear her mind before the faint sound of footsteps on the porch captured her focus.

"Seen anything?' Andrea asked, resting her weight against the side of the banister.

"No," Kyra sighed, not offering the hard woman any form of greeting as her eyes stayed fixed ahead her. She really had no interest in talking to the blonde woman at all. Andrea had proven herself to be not only abrasive, but also very inquisitive. The truck ride was still a nagging thought at the back of Kyra's mind. She had no interest in telling anything other than what was necessary to this group. They didn't need to know her as much as she didn't need to know them.

"I'm starting to think they're chasing ghosts, to be completely honest." Andrea voiced, turning her own focus to the fencing and outlining woods beyond. "It's been too long," she added, the faintest bit of worry lacing her usually cold tone.

Kyra nodded absently at her statement. The battered fencing had given way to a maze of shadowy lines stretching out from it. The sun was setting and still there was no sight of them, or Randall. "I'm sure they'll be back soon with or without Randall," she offered after a few minutes pause in the conversation.

"They'd better. None of us want to find out what happens if they stay out their past dark." Andrea pushed away from the porch railing and began walking down the steps before drawing to a stop. "I was wondering, "she started, shifting herself back around to face Kyra. Her expression pulled into a look of confusion as Kyra reluctantly met eyes with her. "What exactly were you doing down here before this started? Obviously you have some medical training. Is there something you know about – well all of this?" Kyra could only look at the blonde with a tight expression while she did her best to mask the frustration she felt at her question. She knew there was more to Andrea wandering over to talk her besides the pointless fact that nothing had happened and none of the scouting party had returned. Of course, this transfer of words between them could hardly be considered a conversation given how closed off Kyra was determined to be.

"I know as much as you do," Kyra admitted with a frown. There was no doubt that Andrea wasn't going to side step or beat around what she wanted to know. In fact, at this point Kyra wished she knew more about whatever this was, but she simply didn't. "I would've never come down for training if I knew this was about to happen." Once again Kyra found herself locking out the parts of her memory that were tied to this. She couldn't have any more relapses. Dale's death had sparked something inside her that she wasn't aware even still remained. It had been a ghost to her for so long that she found it hard to admit that those memories were actually real.

"Right, well if you see anything holler or shoot." Andrea laughed sarcastically, ending her last word with a bitter shake of her head. It was clear that she didn't buy into a word that came out of Kyra's mouth. "They gave her a gun," she muttered in disdain just before walking out of earshot.

Kyra was left staring after the cold woman who seemed to harbor the most suspicion concerning her. Of course, it probably wasn't over her past just the general amount of suspicion that seemed rampant in this group whenever she did have to exchange words with them. That rarely happened, however as ignoring her was much more efficient than trying to integrate her into their make shift family. She had no issue with this. In her conflicted mind she'd always need an out. If it came down to it she would run again and keep running until some end met her. Despite the attachment that seemed to be growing ever so slowly towards these people. She couldn't completely shake the need for some form of society, for something reminiscent of the past.

The cool air of the fast approaching sunset only raised the level of anxiety in Kyra. Her focus was still holding tight to the tree line, which at this point was barely visible to her. She could feel the weight of her wariness even worse than she had before. The path her mind had run circles through before were once again being navigated. She couldn't seem to find anything to cling to or analyze as her anxiety continued to rise with the setting sun.

The shuffle of dried grass once again jolted Kyra into a trigger ready stance. Her ice blue eyes darted around the fields and house. Finally, they came to rest on a small figure racing out towards the fence line. The sheriff's hat on the kids head was barely visible in the faltering light, but enough to give way to who was creating the nose. She could hardly believe what she was seeing. There was no reason for Carl to be racing out towards the far fields. Quickly, she shot a glance back to the house then to the fields. Her decision pulled between telling Lori or chasing after him. The risk of losing him to walkers was high as were the odds of him getting lost. She shot a few more frantic glances between the two before tearing off the porch and after Rick's son.

She didn't have time to wonder why Lori hadn't noticed her own son leaving or even why she was risking her own life to chase him down. It wasn't her job or even her responsibility to keep an eye on him. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to turn around. Despite her own fleeting spirits she wasn't to the point that a child's life meant nothing to her.

The dried grass rustled nosily at her feet as she forced all of her remaining strength into gaining ground on Carl. She couldn't even begin to explain why he was doing this much less why she was chasing after him. She'd never been a protector. It wasn't the kind of person she was. If anything her best trait would be described as support. She was an EMT she rushed into tight situations after the fact to provide aide. She blinked a few times as the rushing air dried out her eyes. The strain of running against her already sore muscles equated to a much slower pursuit.

"Dammit," she choked out, an intense cramp breaking out along her left side causing her to slow to a stop. At this point she couldn't tell Carl from the dark field she was now standing in the middle of. "Carl!" She shouted between gasps of air. She squinted into the night hoping to catch sight of the hat, or any sign of him. None of which made themselves known to her. Slowly she began to walk in the direction she had been running. The gun was once again tightly grasped but at her side. She threw a few frantic glances about the field before coming to another stop. It was pointless. She had no idea where he went or if he what he was chasing after.

"Carl!" She tried again with a little more power behind her voice. There was no answer to her shout apart from the constant rustle of the grass. She continued to route her gaze along the field in a desperate attempt to see anything. There was no doubting it. He was gone and she was the only one to blame. Again she raked the surrounding field with her eyes trying her hardest to pick up on anything. The faintest ghost of a shadow moved along her path in the distance causing her to once again start walking. She had no idea if she was chasing her own delusional sleep deprived ghosts at this point or Carl.

She stifled a startled yelp at the sound of a gunshot. The nose caused her to whip her head towards the sound which sent a hot flash of pain along her neck to accompany the faint cramp at her side. The color from her face drained as goosebumps flared along her arms. Another shot soon followed the first in a rapid succession of nose. This seemed to shake her from her sudden daze. She gulped back the feeling of bile rising in her throat. Slowly and without much thought she took a few steps back towards the house, while her eyes stayed trained to the general direction the nose had originated from. That's when she saw the very faint outline of a small figure moving faster towards it. It didn't take her long to realize just who that was and where he was going.

"No, no, no, no," Kyra pleaded in a desperate mutter after the figure far from hearing distance. Without much thought she started after him in a terrified state. Her gun was so long forgotten from her mind that she didn't bother to raise it. She just moved forward. There was no thought to her movement or her actions as her own fear overrode her ability to think straight. She was walking after a kid who was now out of her sight. The sloping hills of the field left her in the dark once again. She couldn't bring herself to run. Everything had been expelled on the sprint to gain ground on the kid.

A third shot rang out in the eerie silence along the field piercing the usual looming calm that seemed to cover it. Again Kyra came to a staggering halt. Her eyes frantically darted along the field. There was no time for her to wander along mindlessly, yet she couldn't grasp a clear thought from the pure fear that drove her forward. She stood perfectly still for a few more moments until her senses came back into check. That's when she heard the gurgling, snapping and rasping of her darkest terrors. The sound was too close for her to feel any safety from the usual warning distance. She let out a strangled and shocked gasp as adrenaline finally coursed through her body enough for her to respond to the nose. The delayed reaction seemed so short but long enough for the walker to get closer. She turned her attention to her side with a shaky breath. Her eyes grew wide when she met sight of the festering body moving slowly towards her. It rotting flesh barely clinging to its brittle bones as highlighted by the moon's faded light.

Hastily, Kyra swung her arm up doing her best to aim while the gun shook intensely in her grasp. Her eyes slipped from her current threat to the dozen stumbling along the field behind it. Instantly she felt the first real wave of unharnessed fear. She couldn't shoot the gnarled bony body hungrily reaching towards her. There was nothing she could do, but run. Falling back on the only method that might get her out alive brought her around to finally move. Her grip slipped on the gun causing her to hold tightly to the butt of the weapon with no finger manning the trigger. It was as good as useless to her at this point either way. There was no time for her to think or process what she was about to do. In one swift motion she was charging at a stumbling run back towards the house.

Her thoughts only briefly hanging on the person she was leaving to fend for himself amongst the walkers now staggering slowly down the field. That easily brought tears to her dry eyes. It was the final notch in her desperate slip from reality. She couldn't do this not now. This wasn't the time for her to lose what little resolve she still had left. Her neck snapped back to her rear and the slight slope Carl had gone over moments ago. She could just barely make sight of walkers coming over it. Her feet continued to carry her forward at a slower pace while the force of this hit her full on.

It took everything within her power to drag her attention back to the country house. There was no time to mourn those she couldn't save. She couldn't blame herself for this. Not now. All she knew to do was survive. The walls closing her off from the world seemed to only crowd out her emotions further. She had to adapt to the fact that she couldn't care. She had to keep moving, to keep fighting. That was the attitude she clung to as she raced towards her truck parked at the edge of the farm. It was the attitude she had adopted since the beginning and one that had somehow slipped during her few days with this band of survivors. Kyra would not die to this no matter how selfish that was of her and no matter whose life it would cost.

She slammed into the side of the truck. Her face pinched into a tight wince while she moved along the side of it towards the door. This kind of pain she could live with. Her movements were so uncoordinated at this point. Her focus trying to grasp on to what little bit of life she had left to cling to. Her hands fumbled over the handle of the door. The tears further blurring her vision while she pulled on it in desperation.

"What the hell do ya think you're doin'?" Daryl shouted wildly, his heavy footsteps growing louder. Kyra kept her eyes fastened to the handle. Her head shaking back in forth in sad defeat at his approach. What little hope she had of getting off the farm in one piece was squashed by the redneck now glaring down at her. His muscular hand came to rest on her wrist pausing her from yanking at the truck's door handle.

"I-I-I have to leave, Daryl. There's- it's- I can't-"Kyra's voice shook uncontrollably, tears now streaming down her cheeks without protest. She couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes. There wasn't anything she could say to convince him. In her mind it was over.

"Ya ain't makin' any sense, lady. Where'd ya run off-" Daryl snapped impatiently, while his eyes traveled from her to the fields. "Shit," he muttered silently as his eyes met the reason for Kyra's bizarre change in state. "I ain't got time for this." Daryl growled, releasing his grip on Kyra's wrist. "You wanna leave then get the hell out!" He shouted back to her in his own rush to ready the others. His tone seemed to give way to a fury, but one he didn't have the time to fully express. He couldn't be bothered to play hostage when a serious threat was about to crash down on them.

Kyra first real sob ripped through her body while her hand tugged harder on the door. The old metal groaned as the worn latch was finally pulled away from the rusted door. She could hardly drag herself into the truck as her emotions finally caved in on her. Everything she'd been through was amounting to this. Her sobs continued to rattle her body as she twisted the key that had been left in the ignition. Apparently, they took risking her running away over a potential walker herd leaving them racing around a house trying to find keys.

The old truck roared back to life with a loud groaning growl. She clumsily shifted the gear to drive, but kept her foot pressed firmly on the brake. Her ice blue eyes drifted back to the house now alive with the rest of the group. She caught sight of Daryl making his way towards his bike, followed by Glen and Maggie heading towards the Hyundai. A few of the others were heading for the remaining vehicles all armed with some sort of shot gun or pistol. In that time she convinced herself that there was nothing she could do to help them. All she could do is save herself once more. So with those lingering haunting thoughts she released the brake and slammed the truck around back towards the road. The tires rolled uselessly on the soft dirt before the traction finally kicked up onto the terrain. It skidded off onto the dirt road quickly while Kyra steered with one hand gripped tightly to the steering wheel and the other still held fast to the gun.

The first shot echoed from behind her a few minutes after she'd gunned the truck down the road. They'd reached the house just as she'd left it. Her focus quickly fell on the rearview mirror and the chaos left in her wake. A sharp jolt dragged her puffy blurry eyes back to the road and the walker she'd run over. Her grip tightened even harder on the wheel as it jerked to the side causing her to swerve away from the dirt road and onto the grass. Quickly, she over corrected the steering leaving her truck spinning around back towards the road at an odd angle. Not once had she let off the gas which left her tires biting into the soft ground below her. She slammed her foot down on the pedal giving the truck as much gas as she could. Finally, it tore away from the dirt, yet again just as a walker slammed into the side of it.

The blackened smudge it left made her view from the passenger side window impossible. This only grabbed her attention for a second while the truck squealed off back onto the dirt road again. She forced her attention back to the road doing her best to block out everything else. That's when her plan of escape came to a sickening halt. The entire road was littered with walkers. Each of them staggered along it in a mindless march towards the farm. Her foot let off the gas slowly. All of her hope drained completely at the horrible herd blocking her only route of escape. She continued forward despite the odds she was forcing herself to face. This is what running would mean and she had to take it or turn back.

She could faintly hear the gun fire of the group at her rear. Quickly, she weighted her odds of wading through the horde or turning back and fighting. Her attention jumping as she ran over another walker. This time the metal groaned from the old truck at the sudden hit. In light of this she steered the truck into a tight circle back around. She didn't want to be with the group, but she had no choice. This would probably be one of her only chances to take the risk and leave them, yet she couldn't. It was live or die trying and right now running wasn't an option. For the second time in less than a week Kyra found herself falling back to help despite her gut instinct to run. Although to her it wasn't a matter of helping them survive as much as it was a matter of her own survival.

The scene she arrived back at was intense. She could hardly tell the group from the walkers as she slammed the truck into two walkers within her path. The old metal of the truck lurched again at the impact giving off a very loud groan of protest. Kyra flinched at the sound, but continued forward following along the field route that led to the barn. It was hard to even contemplate an attack strategy. The best she could do was run over as many walkers as she could hit. Her own lack of trust in her shot kept her from rolling the window down on the driver's side. She was completely clueless to their strategy while following along the path many of the other's had taken. Her sight caught on a band of walkers within hitting distance. Quickly, she veered the truck onto the grass and straight into the walkers, yet again the truck groaned in ugly protest. The walkers still clawed at the hood of the truck before falling under it. There sick, soulless faces snapping and gnawing at her through the window. It was something that dragged Kyra away from the moment she was living in. The same memory ebbed back to the front of her mind and threatened to take over yet again.

Silently she shook her head forcefully dragging her attention back to the walker infested fields. It couldn't happen again. She wouldn't allow it to. With determination she focused on the fields and the vehicles now speeding around. She could barely catch sight of Daryl in the distance trying to tag as many as he could along the barn line. While the silver Hyundai gleamed further off in one of the distant fields. She continued to move along the trails unsure of what she really should be doing. Finally, she settled on a path that led back to the house.

The walkers staggering about it seemed to have double in the time it took her to route down it before her return. Kyra sucked in a deep breath before plunging the truck into the mass of walkers. The shots still blared across the walker riddled fields as she plowed her way back around. They had to be planning on leaving soon. Of course, she had a pretty strong idea on who they were waiting for. She hadn't caught sight of Shane, Carl, or Rick on her way out or back in.

The truck rolled violently down its own trail back to the barn. Her eyes vaguely taking sight of Daryl as he shot off another round into quite a few walkers separated by the fence line. She couldn't seem to place anyone else while her gaze drifted through the walkers.

A sudden violent leap by the truck threw Kyra into the steering wheel. The impact instantly sending her vision into black before the world came back into focus in a blurry sight of mixed color. Her foot had slipped from the gas at the point of impact leaving the truck to spin its tires into the blood soaked dirt below it. Kyra could hardly shake the feeling of her looming unconscious as she gripped the steering wheel again and applied pressure to the gas. The tires rolled and the old metal groaned while the walkers started to pile up around the truck.

"Come on," she shouted in a mixture of frustration and confusion, when the truck refused to move. She could hear the faint sound of tires moving in the loose dirt only digging whatever hole they'd made deeper. Almost instantly she felt her stomach lurch into her chest. The truck was stuck. Her dazed vision drifted along all sides of her truck as the snapping, scratching, and slamming grew louder with each walker that joined in the mad rage to get to her.

"Oh god no, please." She slammed her foot harder down on the gas pedal as new tears leaped into her vision blurring even more. The truck only sunk deeper into the ground and further away from her likelihood of getting out. Again she frantically looked around the truck to see all sides now being swarmed by walkers. She desperately searched for some kind of rescue around the walkers blocking her view, but couldn't make out anyone else. In that moment she wished the hit had knocked her unconscious. Anything would be better than the sick end to her life that seemed to now be snapping viciously and clawing mindlessly at the windows and doors.

She slowly dropped her hands from the wheel and reached for the gun on the far side of the passenger seat. Her sweaty fingers slipped over it a few times before she could get a firm grip on its body. Another sickening thud sounded right beside her. The walkers were using their withered bodies to force a way into the truck.

_Kyra's hands flew to the window and seat as the bus swayed to the side once again. Her eyes were jumping from the things now slamming into the cabin's door to the only man left standing in this twisted nightmare. "Why the fuck did you tell me to stop?" Kyra shrieked as the bus shifted again. "We can't help these people, Sean! They aren't even people," she added, while adjusting her position to get a better hold on the seat. It was proving to be her only form of stability. The bus rocked again, while her partner looked blankly out into the sea of walkers closing in around them._

"_Yes, they are!" Sean countered with a quick shake of his head. "We'll figure this out like we always do. We just have to hold on until support gets here." His deep green eyes pleaded with Kyra to see his side. "We have a better chance of getting rescued if we hold tight-"His words were drowned out by the sickening splat of another one of those things ramming its head into the passenger window. "If we kept moving we'd be dead, without a doubt dead. Kyra there's no way out of the city. Every entrance is blocked and the exit is crawling with them." She stared hauntingly past him at the window where the previous bloody trail had now doubled in size._

"_We're not going to make it until then. It's over." Kyra managed to choke out. The bus swayed again as the sea of walkers grew in size._

"_Don't say that," Sean said, his own voice dipping into one lacking any real strength. "We just have to hold tight." He added, his body tensed at the sound of glass cracking behind him. "God dammit!' Kyra stared miserably at the first line of spider web cracks branching out along the passenger side window. "Ok, ok we're gonna have to make a run for the complex over there." He said quickly, the first sign of panic rising in his voice. "Here take this." Hastily, he grabbed the standard issued gun from its holster and forcefully placed it in Kyra's hand. _

"_Sean, no. What are you doin'-"Kyra blurted out in a rush. Her hands shaking with the gun in her grasp. _

"_It's ok, baby." He soothed, breaking the professionalism they kept in tack when forced into this odd team of sorts. Quickly, he clicked the safety off and pulled back to load the first bullet into the chamber. "Alright, now when I tell you to run I want you to run as fast as you can to those buildings. Get out of their sight and range. Ok?" His voice was starting to shake as the cracking glass allowed more of the things sounds to enter into the cabin. "Don't look back, don't wait for me. All I want you to do is run." He reiterated, lightly placing a kiss on her forehead before pulling away._

"_No, no, no, don't do this to me, Sean. I can't do this on my own. No one's coming back for us. You know that!" Kyra sobbed in protest, shaking her head in a last attempt to get her fiancé to change his mind. She already had a sick feeling about his plan. It only involved one of them getting out alive if that._

"_They will, ok? All you have to do is wait. The alert went out last night. The CDC's going to-"The sound of splintering glass cut Sean's reassurance short. Kyra's face twisted into a sick expression as the things tried to crawl their way in the moment the glass gave way. "I'll be right behind you. Go!" he forced out, turning quickly to see what they were up against._

"_No, Sean." Kyra cried out at his command. She eased the majority of her weight against the door trying to get as much distance as she could away from them._

"_Now, Kyra! Go!" He shouted, a new strain of terror causing his voice to jump at the sight of the first walker with a bashed in face crawling into the bus._

_Kyra clenched her teeth forcing her rising emotions to at least give her room to think. She gave one last fleeting look at her fiancé before twisting back around to the door and pushing it open against the few of those things that had piled around on her side. With unsteady hands she raised the 9mm and let off the first shot into the shoulder of the mangled walker that grabbed for her. She could hear Sean stumble out of the bus behind her, but didn't hear his feet following her as she dashed towards the buildings. In one haphazard move she glanced over her shoulder to see if her worse fears were true and to her own disbelief they were. All she could see from the swarm of ten or so walkers was a mess of blood and entrails. The last sight she'd ever have of the man she loved, the man she left, the man she didn't fight for when she had every chance to. _

The sound of bracing glass dragged Kyra from her daze. Her head titled to the driver's side window where the first hairline of a crack was visible. The dull thuds of other walkers crashing against the truck and the groan it gave off accompanied the sound. She could still hear rounds of gunshots going off somewhere around her, but her focus was too distant for her to place the proximity. She had toughed so many months on her own, with her own regrets, and screwed up choices. In the end it was almost tragically funny that she would die the same way it all started.

The 9mm standard issue gun sat useless in her lap as she stared blankly back at the walkers crowding around the truck. The gunshots ringing out louder as a voice called over the sound of their deadly chorus. To her it could've been miles away.

**Reviews are always valued, appreciated, and enjoyed!**


	6. To Live

**Panic's Note: **I thought I'd go ahead and give you guys another update, even despite the fact that the last chapter was the least viewed, reviewed, and added to lists. Not to say that I didn't expect that, but I had hoped a few more of the viewers would pop back in. I'm just hoping I haven't lost my game in that two month lapse. Anyways, here's chapter six.

To those of you who are still reading this I want to give you all a very obnoxious thank you hug, because it could've always been worse. I'm grateful for your continued support and enjoyment of this fic.

Here's to hoping this piece still has enough to keep you guys around. I'm doing my best to spark this one back to life.

I'll start by very frequent updates without skimping on the content!

_Some elements of this chapter were altered to go along with the episode Beside the Dying Fire._

**Disclaimer still applies.**

**Chapter 6: To Live**

The noises were a vast echo in her ears. All of them converging on top of each other until all she could register was a loud and constant buzz. The snapping, gnarling, clawing, and thuds the walkers were releasing on the truck had dulled to the buzz. The shouts of a voice and distant blasts of gunfire had accompanied this buzz. Her mind could no longer sort through all of the stimuli before her. Her senses were dulling to a point at which she couldn't even try to grasp on to the reality of the world around her.

She knew what was going to happen. That knowledge alone had chilled her mind to a standstill. No other images flashed into her thoughts. Her nagging yet haunting memories had faded away to a calm, but dreadful peace. In that moment she was ready to accept death. It was odd to think that she had fought for so long and so hard against a fate that was always within sight. This world wasn't meant for people like her. It wasn't meant for people who couldn't push themselves past their prior morals and beliefs. It wasn't for those who couldn't power through the challenges and still remain strong. She was always weak. Every close call she'd faced were strokes of luck to her now. Each displaying just how blindly she had stumbled around in this new world. She had never quite garnered the willpower or endurance to struggle through.

Glass cracked loudly close to her head, yet did nothing to pull her from her trance. Her blurry vision gave way to nothing. The luring call of her unconscious dragged her further away from the real world. She sat perfectly still apart from the slight tremble that ran through her body. It was better for her to close down than fight back. No matter what she did now there was only one way out of this and sadly it was amongst the terror that she had been running away from.

Her tears had dried along her sharp face leaving slight tracks in their path. There was no emotion left in her to give. There was nothing left for her to remember. The fight was over. An eerily sad smile had crept onto her face as her eyes stared mindlessly in front of her. A part of her briefly wondering if this was, in the end, the best way out of the world.

Another echo of glass cracking ricocheted through the loud droning buzz. Its piercing presence only strengthening her calm resolve. There was nothing left for her to give. Every ounce of effort had been drowned under her need to run, to escape, to leave whatever was left alive alone. She never thought that a band of survivors would lead to her downfall. Not even in the darkest depths of her mind did she every think that she would choose to fight over run. Of course, her odds of survival had sunk to new lows when she chose that path. She wasn't a fighter. That was a constant truth about herself that she had never denied. She had been forced into this position, because of Sean. It wasn't a path that she had ever wanted to take, yet in her mind she had always been fighting to prove her own twisted sense of worth. He had given his life to save her and she had been running ever since for him. It was the last thing she had left to hang on to and the final thing she was willing to let go.

A sharp sickening shatter blasted through the buzz. The sickening sound of gurgling, snapping, and wheezing quickly trickled into the droning buzz. Her senses flashed awake at the intrusion. The calm had only been a temporary fix to the pain she was about to face. In fact, it'd be the last thing she'd experience in this life. Her death would embrace her in a vicious chorus of flesh ripping, blood splattering, and ultimate return to life as a body controlled by a disease. She'd be the shell to harbor the disease and continue its spread.

Kyra's jaw jumped at the shadow of a decaying arm. Its bones outlined clearly against the black smudged, dried, and rotting skin under the moon's faint light. Her body braced at the sight. Her instincts vied for some control over her position. The overpowering smell of rotted flesh only heightened her tension. She sucked in a deep breath, pushing past the rising bile, while her jawline clenched. The lasting tremble still shook her body giving way to the lingering bits of adrenaline that coursed through her veins. A gnarled cool, yet damp hand clamped down on her upper arm. This was it and oddly enough her fears had dulled down. The sheer quality that had driven her thus far caved to release its hold. She was able to let go in that moment. Her tense body welcoming whatever twisted end awaited her.

"Stay in the car, Carl!" Rick shouted over the gunfire and walkers as his weighted gait quickened. His pale blue eyes frantically shifted over the scene of wreckage before him. The pistol was poised and strong in front of him. His index finger dancing over the trigger as his steps carried him closer to the truck. He shot another hasty look towards the old SUV.

"Find Mom!" Carl's high pitched voice called through the storm of nose. "Dad, we can't leave her!' he cried, earning himself another rushed look from Rick. The weary man could barely catch sight of Hershel clamping a firm hand on the boy's shoulder before he forced his attention back towards the walker crowded truck.

He released a bullet from his gun into the first walker that twisted around at his approach. His eyes cutting into a sharp stare of forced determination. He wasn't going to lose another one of his own to this. There had already been enough deaths in the past few days that fell on him.

Another shot blasted from the barrel of his pistol. The walker propelled back towards the mass of kin behind it at the force of impact. Its deep black blood shot out in haphazard spurts on to the rest. Their mindless attention suddenly shifted back to him. Their hungering eyes all blankly stared at him as they staggered away from the truck. The gap in their rushing gave Rick enough time to catch sight of the truck in question.

"Kyra," he called, not once breaking focus on the stumbling walkers as his mind registered its owner. He shifted his pistol to meet point with the next walker to enter his range. Its teal blank eyes dully gleamed against the darkness of the field. The bones on it protruded at various points through the rattled clothes that still hung from its body. He took the shot with ease causing the walker to fall back leaving way for the next two to latch on to his position.

"Kyra!" Rick shouted with as much force as his deep voice could carry. His eyes shifted slightly from the walkers still staggering towards him to the truck. He could see the outline of someone sitting still behind the wheel. Immediately, he felt his heart skip a beat. A few walkers remained ramming into the closed window. He had hoped that the nose he was producing would be enough to drag all of their attention away from the truck.

The approaching walkers left little room for Rick to construct a better plan. So with one last determined step he launched himself forward bringing his other hand up to clasp against his shooting wrist to steady any shots that followed. He had eight rounds left. With that in mind he charged towards the truck. Swiftly, he dodged and fired his way through the four that remained in his direct path.

"Kyra!" his voice boomed over the chaos around him. Its quality took on a more desperate and somewhat frantic edge when his eyes caught sight of the shattered glass and walker trying to crawl its way in. He wasn't going to watch another person die today. His legs pounded harder into soaked ground as he forced himself to move faster. His determination to keep them alive outweighed anything else as he came to a fast stop alongside the truck.

The sight that met his eyes almost was enough to still his aim and shot. He hadn't expected to find her still unmoving form allowing a walker to get so close. He shook the mild lapse in thought before he shot the hungry walker's far shoulder. It quickly stumbled away from the frozen woman as it twisted back to face Rick. At this point Rick could hear other walkers approaching from the rear. He was running out of time and fast. He gave off another shot hitting the last threat in the forehead. Black blood sprayed out from the ruptured skull leaving its traces splattered along both the truck and woman within.

Kyra twitched as something ice cold and wet fell onto her face and exposed arm. The little droplets lingered eerily against her pale skin as she still held tight. Her mind screamed for her to move, to do something at the odd contact, yet she couldn't. The sound of twisting metal screeched loudly before something warm enveloped her wrist. The tug that followed the warmth was the first thing that started to pull her away from her will to remain still.

"We have to move," Rick stated, his hand tightening around her wrist as he gave it another tug. "Kyra," he tried again, his voice rising in level as he stared down at her anxiously. The snarling and gurgling once again rising as more walkers started to drift towards them. "Come on," he added, his head glancing quickly back to the staggering walkers. "We needa leave now." Again he tightened his hold on her wrist before pulling roughly against it.

The deep voice talking on edge next to her was fuzzy as yet another sharp pull dragged her further away from her current state. Her senses slowly tried to fall back into action at the pressure. Finally, her ice blue eyes drifted to the man desperately trying to drag her out of whatever death induced state had seized her. They locked with a pair of pale blue eyes in an instant. The intensity behind his eyes grabbed her faltering attention and grounded her back in reality.

"What are you doing?" Kyra muttered, a confused and tired expression gracing her deathly pale features. She was still too far gone from reality to completely comprehend their current situation, but stumbled from the truck all the same after another insistent tug.

Rick didn't seem to hear her question or notice her dazed state as he shifted back around to face the few walkers. His pistol was already trained on the closest one. He fired off a semi steady shot nailing the creature on the far edge of its skull. His trained gaze only once drifted to the woman now stumbling along beside him as he quickly made his way back towards the SUV.

Everything seemed to move by in slow motion as Kyra was dragged alongside Rick towards the SUV. The bright burning sight of the barn and walkers staggering about it completely unaware of the burning pile was the first thing to register in her mind. It was followed by the growing sounds of closer walkers as her ears started to pick up on the elements instead of masking them in a droning buzz. Her brief embrace with death had left her in an even more bizarre state. All she could do was glance absently around her surroundings as Rick continued to lead her away.

"We're gonna have to run," Rick announced quickly, his fast pace drawing to an even faster stop at the walkers now lingering before them. None of them registered the pair in their brainless march. The SUV was no more than twenty feet away from them, but walking it wouldn't be an option. He gave her a reassuring look before his grip loosened and his hands clasped hers. The position made it easier for them to run while not losing each other to walkers. "Don't stop," he added with a short nod.

Kyra managed something similar to a nod as she tried to sort his words in the messy state her mind was in. The world was still moving in slow motion as they both tore off into a staggering run for the SUV. Rick shot off a few more shots as walkers grabbed for them. His grip holding fast to her loose one as Kyra's steps fell out of line with his. She couldn't force her body to move faster. The pain grew with intensity from the cramps that had sprouted earlier, but she couldn't completely slow down. The sheer force of Rick's grip gave way to the likelihood of him dragging her back literally. She couldn't give up and yet again another person was dictating her survival. Again she was being forced to live despite her acceptance of death. If she gave up then she would also be dragging Rick down with her. Just as if she'd be failing Sean if she stopped running.

The run gave way to the SUV as they both came to a stumbling stop before it. Rick yanked the door open to the back of the old SUV and dragged her into it with him. His tensed body leaning over hers as he quickly pulled the door shut. She wasn't sure if she should be relieved that she was still alive or mad about that fact as Rick patted the back of the driver's seat and shouted "Go, go, go!" Herschel was quick to slam the SUV into drive before wheeling it back around towards the rear of the farm and along an alternate path leading away from the country home and walker herd.

Silence lingered around the four of them as the SUV carried them further away from those left behind. Kyra gazed absently out the window while her mind tried to wrap itself around everything that had happened. She still couldn't harness the fact that Rick had come back for her, had gone out of his way to save her despite the child who still relied on him for safety. He was willing to abandon his own son to save the life of someone he hardly knew. It was either an act of honor on his part or an act of a selfish need. A need that surrounded his own desire to keep everyone alive even in light of those lives he could risk by doing so.

"You alright?" Rick asked her in a tight voice as his eyes fell on the smeared black blood lining her upper arm. Kyra flinched at the piercing stare Rick seemed to be giving her arm. She could hardly remember anything touching her before Rick dragged her away from the truck. Slowly, she twisted her arm in front of herself staring at the wound. It looked bad, but she couldn't see her own deep red blood mixed in with the grossly black smudge.

"I think so," she nodded lowering her arm back to her side. Her body jumped slightly as Rick brushed his hand over the wound. His attention devoted to analyzing it for any breaks in skin. "It's fine." Kyra reiterated sinking away from him and towards the other window. The last thing she wanted was to be tossed out along this dirt road because of a bruise. She didn't think Rick would do that over some broken skin, but then again she wasn't quite sure what to think. Everything was still so misplaced in her mind.

"And that?" Rick asked, gesturing to the ugly purpled bruise that encircled her wrist.

"I can thank Shane for that one," she answered in a very dull tone. Her emotions were too distant to give any real feeling to the words. She found herself blinking oddly back at Rick after saying it. His face fell away from worry to one completely closed off and cool. It was nothing short of a mask. He gave her a nod of acknowledgement before turning his attention away from her.

"We should head back towards the highway. That's the best shot we've got at finding the rest," Rick said, his voice heavy and dull. The tension in his shoulders was a definition to the man's own haunted thoughts. He wasn't going to voice the fact that everyone else could very well be dead.

"It is," Herschel agreed. The old man seemed just as lost in thought as the rest of them. The slight jumps of the SUV's traction dragged them along the wooded dirt road. "I always told 'em we'd meet up on the highway if anything ever did go wrong," he added.

"They all knew that," Rick nodded his head absently, while his gaze shifted to the front of the vehicle. "We planned this out. They're all headin' back to the highway." He paused for a moment as his brows knitted together. "The cars were gone. I'm sure they'll beat us there."

Kyra tossed a look to Rick at his words. His voice said one thing while his face said another. The deep lines on it seemed to tell of something far from the words he spoke. She found it hard to believe that everyone made it out of this as well. The odds were stacked so high against them. Nobody had ever thought a herd of walkers would drive them out of the house much less at night. The fact that they were quick enough to load up and divert attention away from it was beyond her. Her mind vaguely recalled seeing Daryl and Glen both driving circles around the walkers in an attempt to drive them away. Now at least it made more sense as to why none of them had left right away. She never thought that their hesitancy to leave was for more than the few missing from the group.

"I hate you," Carl blurted out, an intensity of rage echoed in his voice. The interruption of their fragile silence came to a close at the words. Kyra found herself staring blankly at the kid as he shifted around in his seat to glare back at his father. "You left her. You didn't even try to look for her," he shouted as angry tears welled in his eyes. "Why aren't we going back?"

"She was already gone, Carl." Rick tried his best to smooth over the harsh words that had just been flung full force at him. "She knew what to do," he reassured his son with a slight nod. "Nobody was left on the farm. " His expression had fallen into a determined straight line. The image he gave his son marked his certainty. "She'll be there."

"You don't know that!" Carl spat back, his face twisting into a mixture of anger and sadness. He roughly rubbed at his eyes as he willed the tears away. "We have to go back," he exclaimed again with a wavering voice.

Kyra looked helplessly from Rick to Carl before choosing to avert her eyes away from the private moment between father and son. She couldn't even begin to imagine how badly both of them hurt for the woman that meant so much to them. That was a bond she never had broken. In fact, she was still entirely oblivious to her own parent's wellbeing. A tight frown fell across her face at that. It would be another two names to add to the list of people she had completely left behind when this all started. A part of her didn't want to come to terms with the real possibility that they were gone. The other part of her didn't want to admit that her survival overpowered her need to find them much less think of them. Again she was faced with thoughts that piled onto the conflictions she felt regarding so many things.

"We can't, Carl! We can't! Got me?' Rick shot back, his words falling from him quickly as his tone steeped dangerously low. The repressed emotion masked by his deep tone. It wasn't hard for her to understand just how much the man sitting beside her cared for the woman he'd left behind. "She wouldn't want you riskin' your life for her." The SUV fell back into another tense silence after that statement. The unspoken falter in Rick's reassurance placing the first crack in the truth that none of them wanted to face just yet.

"I hate you!" Carl finally choked out. His voice giving away to the frail child he still was. The irrational words pierced through the SUV once again. Kyra could feel the slight shift of the worn bench as Rick leaned forward. Her eyes slipping back to the scene as Rick placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder.

"She'll be there," Rick spoke softly, his eyes staring down at the floorboard in defeat. "She'll be there," he echoed quietly. His pained expression noting the sadness he felt as well.

Kyra could just make out the soft sounds of Carl trying his hardest to suppress the tears. Her frown deepened at that as her gaze shifted back to the window. She wanted to offer words of advice or even encouragement, but she didn't feel Carl would buy into them. Especially coming from someone as hollow as herself. Her emotions were still so far gone beyond the point of being present. The numbness from before was a ghost of the distance she felt now. There was a part of her that wanted to feel something towards these people and their situations. There was a part of her that wanted to care again, but such things were harmful. Harmful beyond belief right now. She'd almost lost her life in light of caring today.

Slowly, she shifted her attention back to the pair stuck in a moment of vulnerability. Neither father nor son knew what to say or if they should say anything. Both of them seemed to be holding back though. "Lori's a strong woman. I'm sure she made it out, Carl." Kyra spoke softly. Her eyes traveled to the kid who stalled his sniffling at her words. "If anyone did. It was her." she added, her voice hollow as the words left her mouth. She had wanted to remain silent, but seeing them both so broken drove her away from her initial thoughts. It wasn't her place to try to offer support, yet she couldn't just sit by. Regardless, of them finding Lori they'd have to keep moving. It was one of the few things that gave her some strength. There was power in being able to pick yourself up. Although, she couldn't definitively answer if that still applied to her.

Kyra's ice blue eyes fell on Rick who'd turned his attention away from the floorboard and to her. His eyes locked with hers for an instant before a small forced smile formed on his face. The smile didn't reach his eyes and felt just as hollow as her words, but it spoke a silent thank you to her. She gave him a slight nod and weak smile before turning her attention back to the dark line of trees that shot by them in a blur. It seemed like they'd all had their own separate yet equal battles in strength today.

The worn bench seat shifted again as Rick fell back releasing his hold on his son. Kyra glanced to him shortly as he turned his head towards the window. He stared off into it in a mournful silence. She could see the hard lines on his face taking their place again before her own head tilted back towards her view of the dark woods.

Her thoughts routed back towards trying to piece together everything that had happened. It all unraveled so quickly. Her own desperate attempt to run seemed to glaze over everything else she'd witnessed. There was hardly anything she could grab from it other than the few glimpses of the other survivors rushing around the farm trying to mark a path off the property that would take them and whatever walkers followed away from it. It didn't take her long to compile her own list of those she never saw running around or entirely missing from the scene. Although, her thoughts didn't linger on such things for long as her weariness and struggle to stay conscious finally gave in.

"Where are they?" Carl asked.

The sound of the kid's even, yet cool tone quickly woke Kyra from her light sleep. She shifted slightly before lifting her head away from the window. The soft light of early morning drenched the desolate car cluttered highway before them. A few crows sat atop vacant cars now occupied by the bodies of those long dead. It was a very intimidating sight to wake up to and one that forced Kyra to shake off any remaining weariness.

"They'll be here," Rick answered. The bags under his eyes gave off the impression that he was starting to rack up the days without sleep as well.

"I'd reckon this is it," Hershel said as the truck pulled to a stop alongside a marked car. The trunk of it hosted a variety of items and the back window featured faded white lettered words, which she couldn't quite make out.

The four of them sat in silence. The only sound to pierce the silence was the shift of gears as Hershel pulled the transmission parking the SUV. Kyra felt her own spirits sink at the sight of the completely dead highway. From the looks of it nothing had been moved from the marked car in a while.

Her body tensed at the sound of a click. Quickly, she shifted her gaze to Rick as he loaded bullets into his pistol. His attention focused on the simple task of reloading the weapon before he glanced back up. With ease he tucked the weapon into his waistline and nodded.

"We needa be cautious 'round here. No guns," he started, changing his glance from face to face as he spoke. "Ain't no telling where the herd was headin' or if there is another one close by. Stay close and stay quiet." He released the door before tilting his head in a gesture down the road.

Kyra sat staring slightly dumbfounded at the rugged man. Yet, her stare wasn't really in regards to what he'd said, but with the idea of them staying still and waiting. She had always avoided the highways after leaving Atlanta. They were known blocked exits now cluttered with lines of battered and dead cars. She never knew just how frantic people had gotten until now. It was the first time she got to see just how quickly everything fell. People hadn't even made it off the roads before the walkers caught up to them.

Slowly, she found herself pushing the door open to the SUV before she hopped from it. The small safety it offered abandoning her for the vastness of a dead highway.

The hours crept by in silence. None of them spoke as the sun rose higher in the sky and yet there was still no sign of the others. Kyra shielded her eyes from the sun squinting down the stretching road. The sea of cars reached out towards the horizon away from Atlanta, while the other side remained barren. There was nothing to see in the distance. Nothing moved in the eerie wasteland of cars.

Finally, she tore her gaze away from the expanse of cars and back to the few remaining survivors. Carl had taken to drifting along the nearby cars. His focus was torn between investigating them to staring hopefully at the horizon. Hershel stood silently by the marker. His gaze stayed on the road beyond them. While Rick leaned tiredly against the back of the SUV his strong resolve seeming to slip with each passing hour.

"It's getting late," Hershel observed with a shake of his head. "They should be here by now." His stare tore away from road for a split second to look at Rick. "You can't stay here much longer."

"They might've doubled back. Give 'em time." Rick's face remained expressionless.

"You don't have time," Hershel began, the shadow of a frown falling over his face. "You needa keep that boy of yours safe. Hangin' around out here isn't better off for either of you."

Kyra glanced between the two as Rick fell back into silence not acknowledging Hershel's observation. She had no doubt that Rick already knew this. It was just a matter of time before they'd have to keep moving. She just hoped it would be sooner rather than later. The feeling of anxiety was already burning in the pit of her stomach at the prospect of remaining stationary much longer. Her mind in turn was once again frantically trying to run circles over everything.

Finally, she caught eyes with Rick. The question that had been burning in her mind since he pulled her from the walker infested truck escaped her lips. "Why?' Rick tilted his head at her question, his eyebrows raising in confusion. It was a single word that could be applied to so many things, yet leave room for no true answer.

Kyra shook her head slightly at her own poor choice in wording. It was no wonder he was left staring at her at a loss for words. She hadn't meant to vocalize the thought or even pry at it. She was still breathing and that much she should've been grateful for. What bothered her about it all though fell on the fact that he still went out of his way to help someone he had virtually no attachment to. He chose to chase down her problem instead of soothe his own. After seeing the turmoil within him over Lori she couldn't shake the question from her mind. Yet she chose to express this in one word, which left him without an answer to give.

"Why, what?" Rick asked her a few seconds of silence lapsed without another word or hint from Kyra. The sad look that crossed her face was his only answer. It came down to the fact that Kyra couldn't place exactly what she wanted answered much less what she wanted to hear.

"I just…" She started desperately searching for the right words to use, but falling short as her eyes locked with his. All she found staring back at her was a torn man. The intensity from the night before was gone. The tension in his shoulders seemed to have grown since then as well. There seemed to be an impossible weight coming down on him.

"Why-" she started again only to be interrupted by the sound of shuffling feet and crackle of brittle bones. Quietly, Rick broke away from the SUV with his knife in hand. Her painful questioning tossed to the side as he slid around the SUV to get a better angle on the lone walker.

**Reviews are always appreciated, loved, adored, inspiring and most of all valued. **


	7. Reality

**Panic's Note: ** Alright guys! I love the amount of feedback given on the last chapter. I honestly couldn't keep myself from grinning like an idiot at each one. Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews. I'd give you all another obnoxious hug, but I think one is more than enough. So instead of an obnoxious hug you all get to have a double update! Turns out this last installment to season two climbed up to 10k words forcing me to cut it into two parts.

So let's move forward with the season two conclusion chapters. I had the season finale on standby and a ton of content to cover. I tried to keep this as engaging as possible! Hopefully, it all pans out.

To all of you amazing readers that added this piece to your alerts you also have my unconditional love. Without you guys there wouldn't be much of a story here. You are all my inspiration to keep this piece going.

To my Daryl fans let's just say he's back to lend a few words to Kyra. Hell, a lot of the cast is back to voice their thoughts in this one.

_As is per usual this chapter does tag along with Beside the Dying Fire. Some of its content has been altered to work alongside this piece. A few lines were pulled directly from this episode as tie ins. I do not stake any creative claim to them._

**Disclaimer still applies.**

**Chapter 7: Reality**

They weren't moving. That was the only central thought in Kyra's mind as she passed anxiously between the small lines of cars bordering the battered SUV. She couldn't seem to shake the rising levels of her own selfish motivation as she tossed the trio another tense glance. They had to know that waiting would only increase their chances of getting caught up in another tight situation, yet here they were counting the minutes that passed by as they continued to cling to a quickly fading hope. It hadn't taken long for Kyra to drift away from them and turn her nervous energy into hesitant pacing. She didn't want to let go of the only means to survival she knew, even if that theory had deserted her hours ago. The brush with death had been enough to strengthen her beliefs in the power of running, but at the same time dampened them. A part of her felt that if she had continued forward she'd be far away from this. Instead she was stuck pacing anxiously on a barren highway with her gaze jumping from the stretching horizon to the trio.

The oddly quiet highway continued to chip away at her faltering thoughts. It wasn't natural. It wasn't something she was willing to let her body adjust to. The abandoned cars were the only semblance of a world long forgotten. In that moment she found it hard to recall her memories of her life before this. The only ones that seemed to jump out to her were the few that haunted her. She shook her head as she tried to push those away from her focal point. Reliving those memories twice was more than enough. It couldn't happen again and this time she was determined to reinforce that.

Her ice blue eyes drifted frantically back to the man who'd saved her hours ago. The question of why still echoed through her mind as she watched him. She still couldn't define exactly what had driven him to rescue her. It wasn't a matter of caring. It couldn't be. She hadn't been with the group for more than a few days when this had all happened, yet here she was. Her life wasn't over, because of one man's desperate actions to keep it going. Again she found herself pulled between an extreme gratitude towards him and a lingering doubt that his choice was wrong. It left her begging to know if she truly wanted to live again. She shook her head at the thought as she came to a stop in front of a burnt car. Its hood curled up along the edges in a crisp reminder of the chaos that had littered the highway months ago. She couldn't fall apart now, no matter how inviting the thoughts had become. So with a forced determination she steered her attention back to the few living people she could hold on to.

"There's only one thing you have to worry about now," Hershel whispered in a tense tone. The wrinkles along his worn face deepened as his eyes fell on Carl.

Kyra immediately regretted her pause in pacing at the words. It seemed they'd come to their senses in the amount of time it took for her to slip away from her own. She desperately wanted to run, leave the highway without so much as a second glance back, but a part of her tore away from that ideology. There was only so far she'd be able to drag herself until everything caught up with her again. For the first time she found herself questioning her faith in running.

"I'm not leaving without Mom!" Carl shouted as his young mind wrapped around the unspoken implications within Hershel's words.

Her thoughts were racing at a blinding speed as she tried to grasp onto reality. Again she shook her head slightly. The feel of her grimy hair lightly brushing over her shoulders was enough for her to at least believe that everything around her was real. It wasn't taking much for her thoughts to drill holes in her delicate grip on the world around her. Each new thought announced the fact that she should be dead right now. That her right to breathe wasn't due to her own will to live, but to another's.

"It's only a matter of time before-"Kyra drawled out, her voice tight as she forced herself to remain in the present. She shifted her weight back against the scorched car. Her fingers bit into the sharp brittle metal as she let her anxiety pour into her tight grip. They still weren't moving. It was the bitter truth they had to face and one Kyra was adding voice to. She was alive and had to struggle forward. The haunting thoughts that followed her would have to be pushed aside. It was time for her to accept that her livelihood depended on the three people before her.

"You should go with them," Hershel nodded at her. "There's nothing here for you to wait on." His face fell to a solemn expression. Kyra caught sight of Rick giving a small nod of his own in agreement. She took a deep breath, once again weighing her odds out of habit more than necessity.

"We can't leave," Carl shouted louder. His small shoulder's shaking as his emotions reached their boiling point. The kid seemed to be the most torn by this decision. His eyes cut into a sharp glare as he locked his focus on that of his father. Rick seemed to waver at his kid's outburst. The sharp creases on his forehead became more defined as he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Carl. We have to keep moving," Rick crouched down in front his son. The pain of it all finally showed on the rugged man's tight face. Kyra noticed the first signs of the same buried weakness from the night before. It would hurt Rick just as much as it was hurting Carl. She'd have to keep moving with this broken pair, which made the prospect of running difficult for her. She had her own demons to bear. The thought of having to share the pain of someone else s lose would ultimately ruin her. If she had to leave she would go alone. There were no groups that survived. Nothing could bring people together out here. There was no room to care or for compassion. It was all a game of personal survival.

Kyra had dropped her gaze away from the struggling father and son at her own conflicted thoughts. In an instant she had gone from accepting them as her group to quickly writing them off as another round of names to add to list of people she had deserted. The lines between what made sense and what marked insanity seemed to blur together. She could continue to run, keep on the path she started before finding this group, and hold tight to her belief that living alone was the only way to survive. There was one flaw in this equation though and that was Rick. He proved that doing things alone could lead to death. That her will to live over everything else came at a price. It was only a matter of time before she found herself surrounded by walkers with no way out.

The whites of her knuckles showed through on her grimy hands as her thoughts continued to clash. Each new angle only made her decision tougher while her gaze stayed plastered to the cracked concrete below her feet. There was no right or wrong choice anymore. There was no clear path out of this. She wanted to run. It was the one thing that had kept her moving. A part of her still wanted to live even despite her doubts concerning life.

A deep sounding growl of a motor tore her away from her spiraling thoughts. Her troubled gaze drifted back to Rick. He was already standing with his pale blue eyes locked to the approaching vehicles. The faintest tug of a smile was starting to pull over his worried face. Slowly, Kyra titled her head towards the growing sounds and found herself staring at the sight in disbelief. The rest flashed by in a wave of excitement laced with happiness, but accompanied by a deep set tension. They had all rushed towards each other in a flurry of handshakes, hugs, and for some kisses. It was almost too much for Kyra to watch as she stayed planted to the car at her back. She had nothing to be happy about. None of these people meant anything to her except another day in this damned world.

"You didn't make it far," Daryl grumbled. He bumped elbows with her roughly, which pulled Kyra away from staring sadly at the group before her. She caught eyes with him only to find a twisted smirk on his dirty features. "Thought you was high tailin' it away from us," he added, the slightest hint of hostility lacing in with his gruff tone.

"Well, I didn't," Kyra sighed. She had no doubt that Daryl was still furious with her. She shifted her gaze back to the group as he walked towards his motorcycle. It almost felt as if Daryl was pointing out the fact that he wasn't about to forget her desertion, yet she couldn't definitively state that.

"Where's Andrea?" Daryl asked. His steps came to a stop just before his bike. That was the question that dragged the group back to reality. Everyone exchanged a sad glance before any of them moved to speak. Kyra found herself once again falling into her usual state of silence as her gaze shifted from face to face. She was barely able to hold onto what little bit of reality remained with her without trying to recall people she may or may not have seen back on the farm.

"I saw her fall back at the barn," Lori answered with a solemn shake of her head. "Shane?" She countered quickly, looking back to Rick. His only response was a tense shake of his head before another name was tossed into the mix.

Kyra could only frown at the mention of his partner. It hadn't even occurred to her before that Rick knew what happened to him. Then again, it was hard for her to even try to care for the fallen man. He had forced her into a dangerous position and left her to survive on her own terms. Yet, now that she thought about it Shane had offered her more freedom than Rick had. In some twisted way he made her prove that she could fight for her right to live.

"Patricia?" Hershel asked, glancing down to his girls. The youngest of them answered with a tear stained sob and quick story of the named woman's death. It was hard for Kyra to even recall what she looked like as she watched on in a sad silence. She didn't care for any of these people, but their deaths were still hard to accept. They weren't a strong band of survivors anymore.

"You sure ya saw her go down?" Daryl shot back quickly. He was already on his motorcycle. His hand rested on the key as he waited for a reply.

"I'm not sure. It was so dark out there and there were so many," Lori admitted.

"We oughta go look for her," Daryl said, the motorcycle roaring to life at the twist of the key.

"If she's still there she's dead," Kyra found herself shouting bluntly over the roar of the engine with a shake of her head. Immediately all eyes fell back on her. Each of them seemed to glare at her for her cold words. She hadn't meant to voice that thought, but it was the truth. She would be amongst the dead on the farm if she hadn't been rescued. The words seemed to add fire to the already panicked group.

"What the hell you come back for, lady?" Daryl growled back, his glare growing sharper as he stared her down.

"Don't say things like. We can't be for sure." Lori echoed his outburst.

Kyra could only blink at their outrage. She hadn't meant for any of them to take her words to heart so quickly. Yet, they had and it was words she wanted desperately to take back. She hadn't realized just how off setting they sounded until she found herself staring at the survivors. Her hands clutched tighter to the rusted burnt hood of the car as she tried her best to shake the uneasy feeling surrounding her.

"She has a point," Rick jumped in before any of them could get another word out. "Anyone else back there is either dead or long gone. We can't go back," his voice was once again taking on an edge of certainty.

"I say we head east," T-Dog said, his eyes frantically darting from the road to the survivors.

"We can't leave 'em without at least lookin'," Daryl tried again, his attention finally shifting back to the rest of the group.

"We have to keep moving," Rick agreed with a nod in T-Dog's direction. "If anyone did survive we might find them along the way, but we can't risk the trip back or waitin' here any longer, "His eyes shifted along the line of distraught people before him.

"We need to stay off the highways and roads," Glen added.

"Unless we wanna deal with more of these," Daryl shrugged off his crossbow before launching an arrow into a wandering walker's eye. The black blood shot out in a sickening splat to Kyra's right. A lone dark splotch of blood landed on the outside of her worn shoe. "I only got so many arrows," Daryl shook his head as he cast another unwarranted glare in her direction.

Kyra stared at the splotch of tainted blood while it slid down the worn leather. Her momentary pause slipped as she jerked herself away from the car and dead walker beside it. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head before taking a deep breath. The walker had gotten that close to her without her even noticing it. It was frightening to think she'd been that absent minded while listening to the group. That marked the second trip up she'd had within one day involving her attention to the world around her. She couldn't seem to find a grip on reality and it was starting to show.

It wasn't long before she found herself tucked into the SUV door again with a very tense, but silent Lori at her side. The woman had purposefully placed herself in the middle. Her slender body acted as a shield guarding Carl from Kyra. The idea of that alone should've sparked some kind of emotion within Kyra, yet it didn't. Instead she stared out the window carelessly watching the trees pass them in a blur. Her mind continued to swirl with her doubts and questions. The silence of the SUV only seemed to intensify her internal struggle. Not a single one of them had anything to say to fill the gap or even ease of the tension around them.

"Damn!' Rick shouted as he slammed the heel of his hand into the steering wheel. The outburst was enough to jolt Kyra from her thoughts. Quickly, her eyes darted around the SUV taking in her surroundings before they came to rest on the back of Rick's head. She had half expected to see something charging towards the vehicle, or another herd of walkers in their path. Unfortunately, the cause for his outburst was more threatening than that.

"What?" T-Dog asked tensely.

"We've been riding red for the past hour." Rick answered. The heel of his hand bit into the steering wheel for the second time. The noise it created ricocheted through the worn cabin of the SUV.

"We should've siphoned some gas before leaving," Kyra stated, adding more tension to atmosphere around them. "There was still enough time for that," She could hear the panic in her voice rising. "We can't stop." She did her best to convey something apart from panic as she desperately begged him to keep the SUV moving.

"Well, what would you have me do?" Rick spat back bitterly, his own anxiety charging back at Kyra's words. "I can't push this damn thing 'til we find another source of gas." He huffed at his words in mock disbelief before pressing his hand came down on the horn. She was completely caught off guard by his words and found herself falling into an uneasy silence. She could feel the twinges of fear reigniting within her as SUV began to slow down.

"Rick, it's not safe here." Lori tried to reason, but was drowned out by the sound of the blaring horn. Kyra was relieved that for once she wasn't the only one countering a decision. It was a pointless battle though and one defeated as the SUV came to a spluttering stop.

They were quick to jump from the SUV leaving Kyra to stare after them. She wasn't ready to take a stand again. There was no reason for them to be stopping. The SUV may be out of gas, but that couldn't prevent them from moving. If they stopped here they were exposing themselves to whatever ill intended creature crossed their path. It was harder for her to push herself away from the SUV than it had been to push herself away from the Hyundai back on the farm. There was no illusion of safety out in the woods.

"We're out in the open, Rick. If we stop here then we risk having more walkers sneak up on us and another group like Randall's finding us." Beth added into the mix of voices. Kyra came to a stop alongside the Hyundai. Her eyes lingered hesitantly on the woods around them, while she did her best to listen to their words. It wasn't hard for her to pinpoint where her focus should lie. The quiet wooded road they were forced to stop on screamed of danger to her. She'd always been weary of woods. It was too easy for walkers to gain an edge in them, even with their noisy approach.

"Randall's dead. I put him down, "Daryl declared with a shake of his head." He turned walker. He wasn't bit either. Looked like his neck had been broke," his tone seemed to outline the confusion of his statement. Those words were enough to pull all of Kyra's attention back to the group. There was no way a person could become one of them without having contact. "I think Shane killed him like he always wanted to."

"How is that possible?" Beth asked in confusion.

"Rick, what the hell happened out there?" Lori added, an edge rising in her voice.

"There's no way. I-I-I worked with those infected. It's spread by direct contact. It has to be." Kyra tossed in. She'd seen the progression of the disease. She was there when everything went to hell. It had been her job to grab as many people infected as she could before things got out of control. They had warned them to use extreme caution around the individuals. Everyone had seemed so sure that this was containable, yet here she was. She was only offering her own observations at this point.

"Did the herd catch up to him before he died?" Lori continued, her tone betraying her own state of panic. "Maybe he got bit or scratched." Her head shook absently as she tried to work out the ways that might've led to Randall's turning.

"I didn't see no marks on him from a walker," Daryl answered. "Ain't no way he was infected through direct contact. It's gotta be somethin' else." He tossed Kyra a quick glance before shifting back to Rick.

"Is there any way he ingested saliva or or even blood from a walker?" Kyra stuttered as she tried to route through the less likely possibilities for an infection. She could hardly find a coherent thing to say as another surge of dread washed over her. No one wanted to know the truth to whatever it was that triggered the walker phenomenon.

At this point all of them were waiting for Rick to say something. His weary face was pulled into a tight expression. That alone seemed to announce that he knew something. It was enough to still Kyra's racing thoughts as she forced her attention back to him.

"We're all infected," Rick spoke, his eyes straying to the ground. "When we were back at the CDC Jenner told me that whatever this is, we're all carriers of it." He turned his back away from the group and took a few steps forward. His defeated stance gave way to one of the few things that had been building up the tension throughout his body earlier.

Kyra kept her eyes on him as she shook her head in disbelief. More questions flew through her mind while she tried to figure out just how that was possible. She wasn't highly medically trained. She was just an EMT, but she knew enough about the spread of pathogens to know that what he said couldn't be true. It was a fact that she wasn't willing to accept. If they were all infected then this fight was already lost. They were essentially already dead.

"That's not, it's not possible." Kyra blurted out. Her eyebrows pulled in together forming a tight crease on her forehead. She looked at the others as they too tried to come to terms with his words.

"I wasn't sure of it myself, "Rick tilted his head back towards the group. His pale blue eyes fell on Kyra for a split second as he tried to convey the truth to his words. "But if Randall was dead without any walker marks then Jenner was right." He turned his gaze back to Daryl, who was just as dumbstruck as the rest of them.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Glen asked miserably.

"I didn't think y'all needed to know. I wasn't sure Jenner was right. He wasn't all there. I couldn't take him at his word." Rick quickly said, doing his best to cover any faults he may've left within his already withered group.

"What does it matter?" Kyra spoke softly. Her chestnut hair hung limply in front of her face as she stared at the ground. "We've lost." She added quietly. There was no reason to throw words at each other. It was over. They were fighting for nothing. Humanity was doomed to become this disease.

"There's still hope if we're breathing." Carol spoke up.

Kyra felt her stomach tank completely into the pits of abdomen. They were all selfishly fighting for a future that would only end in death. She didn't want to accept that what Rick said was true. She had to continue to believe that someone out there was finding a way to reverse this disease. There had to be a way to flush it out of the human system. This couldn't be the end.

Her mind could only confront the other issues with a dull interest. She didn't even bother to give thought to their encounter with the CDC. The group was self-destructive and probably only more so now. It had taken everything within her power to push through and stagger back to reality, but this was more than she was prepared to handle. The day was cycling in a sick circle that always came back to her questioning Rick's choice in saving her. She wasn't cut out for this world and yet again was faced with the horrifying fact that there was no nice way out. It would end with her becoming one of them regardless of her fight leading up to it.

She didn't pay much attention to the rest of their words all she could focus on was the bleak future in front of her. There was nothing to hold on for. There was no promise for some miraculous cure. Those kinds of things were only welcomed in fictional works such as _I Am Legend_. It was sad to think that she found herself in a similar situation. That she was now living and breathing in a world dominated by something best written in a science fiction novel. She couldn't dictate a good ending on this though. Her best shot at a happy ending would be to die on her own terms without a walker gnawing away at her bones until she gave out from the pain.

"I doubt the grounds going to help you out with this one," Kyra shifted her gaze to find Maggie standing at her side. "I'm not much for dealing with these types of things either and it's a hell of a lot to take in," Maggie gave her a reassuring smile before turning her gaze to the woods around them. "But it always seems to help if you keep moving. Things look bad, but I think we'll figure this out." She offered Kyra another small smile. "I know we ain't been the kindest to you-"She paused when Kyra shifted her stance.

"Don't worry about it," Kyra said her words falling flat as she shook her head stiffly. "We've all been through a lot and I'm sure you're no different. I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I honestly would rather just be left alone for now." A tight smile pulled across her sharp face before she headed down along the path leading towards the concrete structure a few paces off the road. She didn't want this group's acceptance any more than they were willing to give it. Maggie probably was coming from a good place by approaching her, but in Kyra's mind it was too late for that. She'd only give the younger woman credit for dragging her out of her thoughts. They didn't find trust in each other and most likely never would. For now Kyra was living with that, if not enforcing it.

**Panic's Commentary: **I know, I know, this isn't the best ending place for a chapter, but it was the best break I could find within the monster of an original chapter I wrote. I won't go into detail too much here, but the goal of this chapter was to really hone on Kyra's shifting thoughts, doubt, and lingering fears.

I did place a pop reference in there to kind of show her touching on the sick realization that she's in a world no one knows how to live in. That she is just as clueless as the rest of them are.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed part one of two to this lengthy update. I'll talk at you more in the next chapter!

Like always I love to hear what you guys are thinking.

**Reviews are always appreciated, placed on a pedestal, smiled at daily, and valued.**


	8. Burning Bridges

**Panic's Note:** Let's move right along into the second installment for the end of season two!

All of my wonderful readers, you still have my undivided love.

I hope you're enjoying this double update.

I really don't have much to add to this blurb that wasn't said in the previous chapter, so I think it's safe for me to give you the ending and stop talking.

_The same form applies to this chapter that did to the last. Lines were burrowed as tie ins. This chapter concludes Beside the Dying Fire._

**Disclaimer still applies.**

**Chapter 8: Burning Bridges**

The rest of the group had branched off on their own. A few of them had made their way towards the woods in search of smaller dried branches for a fire. That much she remembered hearing when she approached the group earlier. It was getting cool outside, but nothing unbearable. Although, Kyra had to wonder if her lack of feeling was due to her mental state or the dull elements around her. She tossed aside the thought easily before scaling around the concrete structure. The structure was open to the point that any passerby, be it walker or human, would see them. They didn't have any protection to speak of.

Kyra gave a fleeting nervous glance to her waistline and frowned. She hadn't noticed the absence of her firearm until now, but the discovery of this was less frightening than it may've been before. All it would've offered her was a few more days of running. The last meaning it held to her was gone with the memory that accompanied it. She had to let go of Sean to move on and now couldn't bring herself to cling to it any longer. The way she saw it her days were limited. Rick had bought her a few more days and within that time she'd silently let go of her remaining holds to a world long lost. If her death came for her sooner then she'd give up with open arms.

A sharp whistle cut through the still air of the woods around the crumbled construct and pulled Kyra away from her depressing thoughts. The owner to the piercing sound stared at her fiercely. His weathered face offered her no more as he gestured to the woods.

"We ain't here to marvel at the sights, lady. If you're gonna stick around at least make yourself useful." Daryl grumbled loudly, his cross bow rested against his back while his arms held tight to the dried wood within their grasp. "Go grab some more wood over there." He walked by her in a few strides.

"And if there's a walker out there I should just hug it, right? Make things a whole lot easier on your end?" Kyra spat back, her pent up depression releasing itself in a manner she wasn't too familiar with. If she could take back her words, she would've. It was starting to seem like a new found habit of hers to speak without thinking.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Daryl muttered at her awkwardly. His tough appearance tensed at her comeback. If her snarky replies towards him had worked before they were only grinding on him now.

"You know what? Nevermind. We're all dead anyways." She snorted at this before crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "Sooner or later we'll all be forced to bite that bullet." She didn't know why she was throwing this all at Daryl. In a way it felt like the same display she'd flaunted for Shane back on the field a day ago. It was her way only way of expressing her deep rooted fears except this time in a show of twisted dark humor. It was hard for her to even place why she chose Daryl as her new target. There could've been a million reasons for her sudden show of battered emotions, but none of them matter as she continued to stare Daryl down. The tables flipped on him as she dared him to say something back to her.

"You go on right ahead and bite whatever bullet you want. I don't give a damn one way or the other. Just bring back some wood while you're at it." Daryl shook his head in bewilderment. His eyes pierced into her as if he was measuring her stability. She could feel her own grounding waver at his intense, yet perplexed look.

"What's the point?" Kyra shot back, her voice cracking as it reached a volume too emotionally driven for its own good. Quickly, she dropped her eyes away from him. Her body remained tensed and on edge. This day had dragged her to new lows and right now she couldn't see out of it. All she could do was give voice to them at the one person who was the least likely to listen. "We've lost. Whatever the fuck you want to call that virus won. It has the upper edge on us. So, why should we continue to stumble blindly along? We're going to be them in the end. All of us and there's not a single thing any of us can do to stop that." Her breaths came in short bursts afterwards. The power behind her words and force she jammed into them kicked her body into action. Her entire posture demanding some sort of fight that didn't exist.

"You needa screw that head of yours back on, lady." Daryl grumbled as he awkwardly placed the wood down on top of a low cut piece of concrete. "And find a god damned reason to live. We ain't done yet and talkin' shit like that won't help." His accent was more pronounced as he turned to approach her. "Here," he grumbled hesitantly. He came to a stop before her while digging out a few arrows from his back pocket. "If that bullet of yours happens upon you make sure to stab 'em with the pointy end." Kyra accepted the arrows with a tight nod. Her expression fell blank as she stared after his retreating form. There was so much more she wanted to say, to get off her chest, but her only listener was gone. Finally, she moved away from the construct towards the bordering woods. She needed something to distract her mind.

"Fuck the fire," Kyra bit back as she came to a stop on the border of the woods. Her current display of fear showing through her immaturity faded away the moment her foot touched down on the pine nettles that crunched beneath her weight. She bitterly had to admit that Daryl was right. There wasn't time for any of them to falter away from whatever hope had driven them this far. Rick's statement concerning the biology of the pathogen was just another useless fact. It didn't change anything and it couldn't. Kyra was going to have to pull herself together on her own as she had done quite a few times before. No one wanted to hear her delusional doubts or dramatic thoughts. Nothing changed in this new world. The logic remained that she would either survive or die trying. It was that or succumb to the pull of her delusions that had driven her to this point. She took another steadying breath as her eyes shot around the still woods.

The sun was already creeping behind the trees by the time she came stumbling back into camp. An arrow was held tightly in front of her, while her other arm gripped the sticks she had found close to her body. It had been a pretty simple task and one that had given her time to recollect herself. There was enough of something close to strength left within her to do that much. She placed the wood collection down on top of the small stack before turning to take a seat by the fire. Nightfall would bring them all back together and hopefully from there they could map out a permanent stand. She'd figured she'd follow their lead until she couldn't fight the truth any longer.

"No crazy talk," Daryl mumbled with a huff as he crouched down beside her. He glanced to her for a moment before shifting his focus to the small flame now brewing in the center of the construct. "You had me thinkin' there that you was gonna go huntin' 'em down. It'd've been one helluva way to clock out." Daryl offered awkwardly. "I uh s'pose it's a good thing that you didn't." He tilted his head in her direction. A begrudging smile pulled at his features when her attention fell on him.

"I haven't passed judgment on that decision yet, Daryl, but I guess-" Kyra paused as she reined her biting words. She couldn't bring herself to throw more of her own insecurities onto him. "You're right. Thanks for the uh arrows and advice. Pointy ends are usually the most effective when it comes to stabbing things." She almost shook her head at her lame recovery. It felt like it had been years since she tried to have a light conversation with someone.

"Yeah, well ya'know, if you give it a hard enough push the blunt end'll usually do the trick too," he mumbled as he shifted slightly in his crouched position causing the leaves to rustle beneath his legs. His eyes jumped from her then back to the fire in a haphazard manner. It was strikingly clear that he felt a similar uncertainty over the words he spoke. The conversation was almost too light after all they'd been through, especially after he had to face her released thoughts earlier. It made any ground between them hard to define. "I make 'em sturdy enough to manage the kill no matter which end ya choose to use." He added with a hesitant chuckle.

"I really don't want to find out if that's a right assumption," Kyra admitted, with a forced smile. She couldn't bring herself to continue on with the horrible conversation and it seemed Daryl felt the same.

The soft crackle of the fire kept the survivors from being plunged into a total silence. The orange glow it created soon was the only form of light around them. Kyra let her gaze fall on the flickering flame. Its dancing and twirling colors proved to be a temporary distraction to her turmoil of thoughts.

"We aren't safe here with him. He's been hiding that from us all this time. What makes you stay here when he's got nothing to offer us but lies?" Carol's hesitant voice broke the silence. She shot a glance over to Kyra then brought it back to rest on Daryl who shook his head tightly at her words.

"He's done alright by me," He said absently, chucking another broken stick into the kindling fire.

"Running won't get you anywhere. Trust me on that one, Carol," Kyra chimed in quietly. Her eyes still fixated on the small fire as the added stick caused it to flare to life.

"We can't just sit here and follow his every word. He's what's got us into this mess," Carol pushed harder. She was walking on the edge of her desperation as her eyes continued to flick between them.

"We all got ourselves into this mess. It ain't matter of who, but how we got here," Daryl shot back calmly.

"I've seen this happen before, Carol. Be glad we all got out alive for the most part." Kyra offered, her gaze falling on the older woman.

"That doesn't change the fact that we all deserve better than him. Why are we even listening to him when he isn't decent enough to at least keep us informed?" Carol added, her voice climbing higher. Quickly, she jerked her head back towards Rick's post. "We need to leave. He's going to get us all killed."

"No, if you run off without direction _that_ will get you killed," Kyra bit back, her eyes narrowing slightly on Carol. This wasn't the conversation she had hoped they'd have. "I don't, I doubt it's his fault," Kyra added, her voice losing its biting edge.

"What do you know about any of this?" Carol bounced back. "You've only been with us for two days. You don't know anything about him or his decisions."

"He saved my life. That's got to show for something." Kyra offered quietly. The words sounded stupidly naïve as they left her mouth. She'd been through too much to put any real trust in someone apart from herself, yet at the moment she couldn't seem to manage that much. Again she was faced with her circling doubts.

The argument was a loss for her as she tried to force her attention back on the flickering flames. She didn't know why she had defended Rick. It didn't make much sense to her, but she couldn't find it within herself to support Carol. He saved her life and deserved at least a little respect from that.

"What're you lookin' for, Carol?" Daryl asked, his eyebrows pulling together tightly as he shifted his gaze back to her.

"A man of honor who is decent enough to actually lead without filtering out things he doesn't find suitable for us to hear. Who gave him that right?" Carol asked bitterly.

"I think we should take our chances," Maggie cut in before either of them could voice a response.

"Don't be foolish," Hershel added with a shake of his head.

"I thought you were all about running," Carol tossed an accusing glance in Kyra's direction. "You made it months without anyone else for support. Why fall back on a group now?" Her tone was sharp and edgy as she continued to stare at Kyra forcing her to re0enter the discussion.

"I don't have any supplies. I barely had any to begin with anyways. Why do you think I'm here right now? It's not because I want to be. Do you see a truck? No, I lost that back on the farm. Do you see a gun? No, I lost that too." She took a deep breath all the while shaking her head. Her harsh reasons for remaining with them still lingered on her sole survival. "I can't run and you can't either. I'm not desperate enough to run without some form of safety." Kyra admitted.

"None of us will make it out there without the proper supplies," Hershel agreed.

The distant snap of a broken stick caused all of them to jump. Their debate gave way to frantic looks tossed around the surrounding walls. It was dark and they all seemed to be caught in a stunned silence. Each of them tried to narrow in on the location of the sound.

"Could've been a raccoon or opossum," Daryl offered first, the crossbow slinging off his shoulder in one quick move. His hands seemed to find their grip on the weapon by instinct alone as his eyes routed along the stone enclosure.

"It could've been a walker," Glen spoke. His body tensed as he held the gun tight within his grasp.

"We need to leave, while we still can." Maggie added as her head twisted from side to side in a quick search for whatever was lingering around their camp.

"And run right into them?" Kyra whispered frantically, her hand wrapped tightly around a wooden arrow. She had nothing else to wield, which only added more panic to her stance as her eyes darted towards the direction she thought the sound came from.

"It's better than them backing us into-"Carol hissed. Her desire to run falling short at the interruption.

"No one's goin' anywhere," Rick countered. His usually calm demeanor had been replaced by a frantic, uneasy, and building display of frustration. "The last thing we need is for people to be running around in the dark." His voice spoke volumes to the words that flew from his mouth. The change in him again caught Kyra off guard as her gaze fell on him. It was hard to recognize him now. Nothing of the leveled headed leader remained in wake of his edgy demanding words.

"We can't just sit here and wait for whatever that was to come find us," Carol shot back, her attention drilling into Rick.

"Do you really want us chasing damned ghost in the dark? You really think that's the best idea?" Rick exclaimed bitterly. He carelessly pointed the gun back out towards the woods.

"You have to do something!" Carol shouted.

"I am doing something. I'm keeping all you alive. If you would just listen to me," Rick fired back; his grip on his wording seemed to slip as he continued on with clenched teeth. "I didn't ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ's sake!"

Kyra couldn't help but take a haphazard step back at his words. She hadn't thought he'd be the one to lose his grip on reality in the eyes of everyone at camp, yet here he was admitting things he'd have done best hiding. In fact, she found herself eating her own words from only minutes ago. Carol was right. They were all following behind a man already lost to the new world.

"Y-y-you did what?" Kyra found herself asking him in complete shock. She was the only one out of the group to actually say something in return to his raged claim. The sound of a muffled crying was the only thing that joined her voice. Slowly, she turned her attention to Carl who was sobbing into Lori's chest. Lori seemed caught up in her own state of shock, which explained both of their silence before when everyone else had been bickering.

"I had to. There was no other way around it. He was pushing me," Rick answered, his gun jolting with each gesture he made. "He wasn't looking out for this group. All he wanted was to take me out. He staged the whole Randall thing just to get me out far enough to put a bullet in my back." The rugged man continued, a brutal rage tore across his worn features with each word he spoke. "I had no other choice. Would you rather have him here in my place?"

"You didn't have to shoot him, Rick." Carol answered numbly.

"He had a gun raised at me. He was pushing me. I had to push back." Rick shot at her desperately. His haphazard gun slinging and rushed steps were enough for Kyra to notice how far off the edge Rick had fallen. He was in a free fall and nobody was willing to stop him. She wasn't even sure there was anything left to save as she watched. Her fears jumped as his words started to weave a frantic pattern in her mind. "If you think you can do better out there, then fine. Go on the door's that way," he stated harshly, his gun pointing out into the still silent darkness of the woods around them. "Send me a postcard. Let me know just how great it is out there. I'm not goin' to stop you." He paused as his eyes drifted among the few people left standing in this dead world.

Kyra found herself taking a clumsy step forward. Her instincts to run pushed her into action. She couldn't wait and watch this group unravel. There wasn't anything left in this group to follow. In that moment she found the small amount of trust towards him plummet. They were all going to follow Rick to whatever death he found along the way. She couldn't follow along. A part of her sadly wanted his actions from the night before reversed. His efforts to save her now felt like some twisted form of personal redemption after Shane's death. She didn't want that to be the truth, but couldn't find any other explanation for his actions. She moved to take another more determined step towards the exit, but was stilled by a calloused hand firmly placed on her thigh.

Her eyes shot to the hand pushing back against her leg. Its owner stared straight ahead in a blank, yet troubled stare. Kyra followed the gaze until her eyes locked with Rick's. A pained expression pulled across his face for a split second before he regained his brutal composure. He had noticed her move to leave and that alone stopped him from saying another word. His pale blue eyes bore into her. Her desire to boldly walk away from the group fell away as Rick dropped his focus from her.

"So be it, but let me make one thing very clear to all of you if you're stayin'" His voice came out in a strain as the man tried to harness his emotions. "This isn't a democracy anymore." He let his gaze drift intensely along the survivors one last time before he made his way back towards his post.

Kyra's stare followed his retreating form. She couldn't bring herself to move. Her body remained petrified to the spot. It had felt so justified and right when she had made to leave. In that moment she had felt like she was starting her final stand against this twisted world. By leaving she was going to demonstrate that death was better than this. That dying held more meaning than following in the path a violent man. It hadn't mattered to her what else he had to say when she willed herself to take that first step. Sadly, that train of thinking came to a roaring crash when their eyes met. Up until that point it felt as if he was intentionally trying to push them back. That alone had frightened her. His tone spoke of a man vying for power over something he couldn't control. It was desperate, scary, and something she couldn't follow. The look he gave her had frozen all of her thoughts. It brought her to the position she held now. He was stumbling along with the rest of them. His actions weren't calculated, they weren't planned, and just as she was he was probably acting on instincts alone. The pain his crumbling stance gave way to made Kyra feel as if she'd slapped him across the face. In way she had turned on the only person willing to reach a hand out to save her. She had been so wrong and there was nothing she could do to take it back.

"They tossed my brother to the walkers. I ain't left yet." Daryl mumbled close to her ear as he released the pressure he had been pushing against her thigh. He didn't say another word as he walked away from her to the break in the concrete against the side face of the semi wall. The simple admittance from Daryl dragged Kyra out of her trance. She didn't know what to do with his statement. She knew it was his best offer of reassurance, even if it was merely a glimpse into the turmoil of his own thoughts and doubts. What really caught her wasn't his words, but his actions that stalled her from leaving. Her gaze drifted to him for a moment only to catch the backside of him watching the woods with trained eyes.

Carol had managed to sit back down on the ground as her face twisted into something desperate. She tossed a few glances between Rick's position just beyond the wall then back to Daryl. Neither of them were concerned with her or her desire to leave. Eventually, her desperately frantic gaze fell on Kyra. A sad smile pulled across her face for a brief moment before her eyes fell to the fire. It was her only show of support for Kyra's move. She wasn't going to fight against either of them or leave on her own terms. She was stuck with them for better or worse.

Kyra found herself glancing around to the other survivors. Hershel and Beth looked tiredly into the fire both of them seemed lost to their own thoughts as the flames casted dancing shadows over their fallen faces. Lori sat cradling Carl's head in her arms. A sad expression pulled tight across her own face as she too gazed into the flickering fire. Glen had his arm looped over Maggie's shoulder as they both spoke quietly amongst themselves. None of them had moved to leave, yet they all appeared to be equally pulled by that decision. Rick had dragged them all into a tight position with the harsh words he had thrown at them.

She took in a shaky breath before walking her way quietly towards the break in the concrete stone wall. The thought of approaching Rick only made her steps move at a slower pace. There wasn't anything she could say to him. She had stomped out whatever had brought them to an understanding in the first place. She tossed a hesitant glance back to the group silently hovering by the fire. Maybe it would be better if she just left. She had given up a day ago it wouldn't be that hard to let that eerie peace capture her again. She wouldn't have to worry about any of this anymore if she just caved to the dead world. Hesitantly, she turned attention back to her path.

Her footsteps came to a stop a few feet away from Rick. Her eyes caught on the chain dangling from his loose grip. The faint glint of a ring reflected the stray moonlight from above. He had taken so many blows within the last twenty four hours and she had given him the final hit. His shoulders were slumped wearily in place of the tension that had been present and very intimidating moments ago. Whatever had pushed him forward was gone. In its place was the same broken man from the night before. She willed herself to take another small steps towards him.

"Don't," his tired voice warned, making her slow approach come to another stop. She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when words never found their way out. She couldn't define what he meant by that one word much less what to do. "What's done is done. There's nothin' more I can say." He called back to her. He wearily tossed her a glance. The blank expression on his face masked her from seeing what had dragged her away from the camp fire. "I don't blame you for leavin'. I'd probably do the same if I were in your place," he paused as his unarmed hand absently rustled the fine chain in its grasp. The small ring bounced off his leg a few times before he willed himself to speak again. "I hope you can find what you're lookin' for out there. God knows there's gotta be somethin'" Rick continued to stare absently out into the dark woods as the silence surrounded them. His words seemed to echo his uncertainties.

Kyra shook her head sadly as she took another small step towards him. She didn't have any words to offer him in return. She hadn't expected him to be so distant and drained. She had been too blinded by her slipping troubled thoughts to recognize the pain everyone else was living through including the man before her. Again she was left to realize just how selfish she had become.

It hadn't taken him long to allow his own regrets get the better of him. Yet, the words he spoke gave way to one horrifyingly honest truth. He was willing to let her go without any resentment. He'd risked the life of not only himself, but also his son and Hershel to rescue her. She wasn't his form of redemption, or a person that satisfied his need to keep people alive. He wasn't going to force her to stay. He wasn't going to make her live if she wanted to walk away. The minute she left this group she'd be counting down the minutes to her death.

She had questioned his motivation before and now felt like she might understand it. It was an act of honor. Selfless honor that had propelled him towards the walker infested truck. He had recognized her as a member of their group. She was one of them, even if she felt far from that.

"Rick, I-"she started to say, her voice hesitant as she came to a stop beside him.

"Don't," Rick stilled her from saying whatever it was she wanted to say. He shook his head sadly, while his tired eyes stayed tied to the lines of trees before him.

Kyra felt the suffocating urge to reach out to him as her eyes traced along the worn tight lines holding his features still. The soft moonlight allowed her to get a sight of the damage all of this had caused him. She, like the rest of them, had been too self involved to realize the strain they'd placed on the only person willing to lead them forward. The only man willing to care enough about each of them to keep them alive. She had challenged him in his fall from grace. She had been the only one to truly lose faith in the man now barely holding on to the world around them.

Slowly, she raised a hesitant hand and placed it on his broad shoulder. She could feel his muscles tense at the touch before relaxing under her light hold. He didn't move away from the touch or cave at it. His eyes stayed locked to the trees before him. She could only hope her simple action would be more reassuring than her pathetically hollow words.

"I'm sorry," Kyra muttered as she gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

**Panic's Commentary:** I've now spent a day and half between both of these chapters. I'm honestly drained right now. I have rewritten and edited this to the point that I can't work at it anymore. I'm happy with the end result, it just took a long time to get here. It was hard to find the right angle to take with parts of this as Kyra wavered along the spectrum of emotions her thoughts had led her to.

I did use a slightly different framework for these two chapters which relied on the use of dialogue that tied tightly with the actual episode and its conclusion. I hope you guys enjoyed that shake up for a change and aren't cursing me for it. I thought this one needed to follow closer to the original as it gave us a glimpse into the broken man Rick's become and was done fabulously in the show.

There are a lot of gems in this chapter as well. I'm sure you picked up the biggest one near the end though ;)

So there you have it. Season two is now a wrap for this story. I will be continuing it following my own predictions for season three from this point onward. I should have another update for you guys by the end of the week once I get my hands on the comics. Sorry I did leave you with a mini cliffie there, but it's only befitting of Kyra's faltering spirits.

On a side note, I finally got around to updating the summary. I'm not sure it catches the entire essence of this piece, but I think it's a bit more appealing than the pulled quote from before.

I'd like to give a special shout out to **Cotton Strings** for catching my horribly placed typo in the last chapter before the double update along with **bluecrush611**. Both of you have prompted me to get off my lazy ass and find out what the comics have mapped out for season three.

So my wonderful readers I now place the power in your hands in the form of a simple question. What did you think of the chapter?

**Reviews are always loved, garnered, held dear to my heart, but most of all inspiring**.

_Unless, of course, you aim to flame me._


	9. Not Strong Enough

**Panic's Note: **Guess who?! Let me first say I am so terrible to you guys. Please forgive me for the seven odd month lapse in updates. I wish I had a legitimate excuse for my absence this time, but I don't. You have my sincerest apologies and are all very important to me and this story. I wasn't planning on letting this one catch dust and I do not intend to let it happen again.

The only plus to the absurdly long break I took from writing is that I now have a very strong idea of where this story is going and will definitely be sticking with, yet altering the happenings of, season 3. I decided against reading the comics as I wrote this story on the premise of the show's story arc and really don't want the comic's vibe to feed into this.

Anyways, I hope you all are enjoying season 3 I sure am! Hell, watching it dragged me back into this with so many different possibilities for Rick and Kyra. And Daryl is a beast. I love his character development as of late. I also look forward to writing for crazyland Rick.

Also, to my wonderfully precious reviewers, favs, and followers; your notifications and continued support even in my absence were amazing. I could not ask for a better group of readers. I hope I haven't lost all of you. I love you guys!

Alright, I bet you guys are ready for an update! So, with that, enjoy the show!

**Chapter 9: Not Strong Enough**

Kyra stared desperately at the side of Rick's face as she waited for him to say anything. A part of her wanted him to question her; to accuse her of abandoning them after all he'd done for her. Her ice blue eyes pierced into him, yet Rick didn't shift his gaze to meet hers. It felt like minutes had passed painfully slow when he finally gave a stiff nod and shifted his posture; allowing his body to shift a little bit closer to her as he bared his weight to that side. His grimy off hand still absently swung the chain that was held tightly in its grasp, which easily captured Kyra's attention.

She didn't recognize the locket or ring that glinted off the moon's light, but it proved to be a better focus than Rick's blank face. There was more that she felt she needed to say to him, yet she didn't know how. In the months of this event she felt like she had become weaker instead of stronger. It didn't make sense to her. None of it did and she was tired of fighting it. Not a single person left in this world could hold it together. Not even the man beside her, which was the final proof that the world just wasn't going to function. There was nothing and no one left to fight for. Everything she felt and believed seemed horribly true. How could anyone see their way out of this logically? It was too much and way too much for anyone to ask her to keep living. She was done giving survivors that power over her. She was done giving her dead fiancé that power.

Her grip tightened on Rick's shoulder as her silent acceptance of defeat crashed through what little comfort she had wanted to offer him. She wasn't offering him any more support than she was seeking as her gaze fell from the ring and locket to the unlit needled blanket ground beneath them. This time her defeat wasn't met with the peace she had expected and longed for. A slight tremble worked its way down her spine, while her grip clenched harder down on the silent drained man beside her.

"I'm sorry, Rick." She muttered, a desperate edge rising in her voice as she released her hold on his shoulder. She didn't know why she was apologizing again. All she knew, for sure, was that she couldn't stand there anymore with a hand biting into his shoulder. He had said all he was going to say and offered the only support he was willing to give. Yet, he was still fighting and she wasn't. In a strange way it made her feel like a coward. She wanted to be strong in her decision to end this charade with death, but she wasn't. Any sense of righteousness from before had been sapped from her. She couldn't confidently state what she wanted and that alone was jarring.

"Kyra," Rick's deep voice brought her to a stop. Her head tilted towards him, but her eyes failed to find his. "Why?" He asked, the rustle of leaves beneath feet gave her the impression that he had shifted his stance towards her.

"Why-," Kyra started, her face twisting into a complete expression of confusion. Her self-inflicted misery and suffocating thoughts came to a close as she focused in on what Rick was asking.

"You figure that out and think about it." Rick cut in before Kyra could finish her confused display. She stood fixed to the spot as she again tried to make sense of his words. Her gaze shifted from her surroundings to Rick. "You made me do that, thought it might do you some good." His head shifted from her then back to the woods. The lack of light made it hard for Kyra to distinguish any expressions on his tired face as her own still reflected confusion. "Guess I'm just trying to return the favor." He added with an odd shrug, the glint of the chain once again caught her attention as the moonlight danced off it at a quicker pace.

For a moment Kyra wondered if that was Rick's own way of asking her to stay. She could barely remember pinning him with the one word question. She shook her head absently as she moved to continue the short walk back to the camp. It was equally confusing that he had found any resolve in it. She shot him one last glance before turning her focus back on the path before her. He had returned his attention to the line of trees. Apparently, that was all he wanted to say. There wasn't anything she could think to say back to that. The only thought resounding in her mind was nothing more than a puzzled: why, what?

A determinedly confused look remained plastered to her face as she slumped down against the rough cool concrete wall. Her focus didn't once shift to the rest of the group. The sharpened wooden arrow held her absent attention in a trap. Throughout the day it had been the only real thing she could grasp onto. Her fingers glazed over the splintered surface and lethal edge. The slight pricks from continuing with this action served as her only tie to the world around her. While Rick's word offered little support they were enough to make her think about what kept her going all these months. It was enough to pull her away from the misery and make her focus on analyzing herself.

The sickening thud and thuck of a body being hit jolted Kyra back into awareness of her surroundings. A slight hiss escaped her from the jolt. Red blood glistened dimly on the tip of her finger from the arrow she had been running along her hand. Her focus quickly skimmed over the temporary camp as she pressed her finger onto her worn jeans.

"What was that?" Maggie asked hesitantly. Her eyes darted frantically around the camp. The same fearful tension from before easily seeped back into the group.

"Walker," Daryl answered with a slight glance over his shoulder. "Don't think it's nothin' t' worry 'bout though." He readjusted his crossbow, before shifting its scope along his view point. "Probably just saw the fire."

"We shouldn't be here, sitting out in the open like this." Carol added tiredly with a shake of her head.

"See anymore?" Kyra asked, her body pressed heavily against the concrete wall as she staggered back to her feet. Her tired muscles screamed in protest of the movement, while her hand tightened around the end of the arrow. The pull of her conflicted thoughts still vied for her full attention despite the potential for walkers in the area. Maybe this overdue decision would be made easier if another herd stumbled upon all of them. A sadly placed smile flitted across Kyra's face at the thought.

"Think I'd just be standin' here if I did?" Daryl shot back, giving Kyra a glance. His grimy face twisted into a disgusted look as he shook his head. "What are ya smilin' for? Ya really wanna see walkers that bad?" He added, a challenging rough tone seeped into his words. "Well?" The volume of his voice rose as he stepped away from the wall.

"What does it matter?" Kyra asked, her face falling.

"Ya ever got anything worth sayin', lady? Do you? Cause I'm damn sick of hearin' this line of bullshit, poor me, nonsense." Daryl shook his head. The disgust in his eyes only grew as he took another step towards her. "Maybe ya oughta just walk on outta here ain't no reason t' stop you. Don't know why I did." He fixed her with another sharp glare before turning back to his post.

Kyra heaved a tired sigh. Her eyes drifted away from Daryl and back to the break in the concrete. She didn't know why she was dragging this out or why she was making any deal out of it. It had been Daryl who had stopped her. He was right though. She didn't deserve people fighting for her when she didn't want to fight herself.

There was no answer she could find to Rick's question. For her, she doubted there ever would be. All of this time she'd been fighting for a dead man, living because he made her, and every time it came back to that. Sean was gone. She didn't have anything she was truly living for. Luck. That was all she had and it wasn't something she wanted anymore. She wasn't fit for this world. She had accepted that. The only thing left to do was commit to it. The question wasn't why, but when.

The leaves, gravel, and straw rustled beneath her worn boots as she slinked back down against the concrete wall. Her arms rested on her knees. The arrow hung limply between her two hands. She took in a deep breath of air in an attempt to soothe her mind. This was it. For the second time, she let everything go still around her. Her mind fought to push aside the nervous energy that came with her final decision.

"We needa move," Rick's deep voice announced, his heavy footsteps followed his command. "Get the supplies into the cars we can still drive. We'll figure the rest out from there." Kyra tiredly shifted her gaze up from the ground to rest on him. Her blood shot eyes giving way to the lack of sleep accumulated over the days. Rick didn't give her any attention as he stomped out the remaining embers to their fire. His face still remained completely composed, while he moved away towards the cars.

Kyra stayed where she'd finally given in, while the rest of the group made quick work of gathering their limited supplies. She didn't feel the need to carry on like nothing was changing. There was no point in her saying good-bye to any of these people. In a way they were the ones to blame for her position in this. If it hadn't been for them she would've still been picking her way along the back roads. There was a part of her that felt easier knowing they were the cause of her death. She wasn't committing a strange form of suicide. In a twisted sense she was giving these people what they had originally wanted. They wouldn't have to worry about her trust or wavering loyalty, much less her will to live. She would be free and so would they. That was a win/win for both parties.

"Ya just gonna sit there?" Daryl's disgruntled voice asked, dragging her away from her solitary stare. Her tired ice blue eyes met his. The same fierce intensity rested behind them as it had the first day they'd met. "Get up. Ain't safe here." He added, gesturing awkwardly for her to stand.

"We really gotta get movin', Kyra." Maggie added, moving pass the pair with pans held securely in her arms. "Would ya mind grabbin' those canisters on your way up?" She asked, giving a nod to the few remaining supplies.

Kyra glanced between Maggie and Daryl before finally pushing herself back to her feet. She gave them both an absent nod as she brushed the forest residue from her jeans. The hopes of just getting left behind were nothing more than a pleasant thought at this point. Quietly, she stooped and grabbed the canisters. Her entire posture was sagged. She couldn't bring herself to stay strong. It was quickly starting to feel like a few nights before.

She made her way up the slight hill leading back to the cars in a daze. It hadn't crossed her mind that she was going to have to be strong enough to say that she wanted out. That she wanted to "fight" her own way in this horribly sick world. She took another steadying breath as she placed the canisters into the back of the Hyundai. Her head nodded in in a weak attempt at gaining some form of courage. The minute she stepped away from the lift gate her gaze fell on Rick. His pale blue eyes seemed to bore into her with each step she took. The same hollow feeling crept over her as she got closer.

"I-uh-I-"She sighed tiredly, with a slight shake of her head. Her hands fell uselessly to her side with a soft clap, while her eyes shifted from his face to the forest around them. She took another deep breath before giving a nervous nod. "Good luck out there." That was the best she could manage.

"Same to you." Rick gave a tight nod. His eyes glanced somewhat desperately over her face almost as if he was waiting for another answer. A better answer. Finally, he moved his attention to the map on the hood of the car. "We'll be heading along this road for quite a ways." He added, his tone was heavier than usual as he pointed along the route. "The map says there's a small town somewhere up ahead." His pale blue eyes shifted back to her. A pulled expression came across his features before he turned his attention back to the map. "If you change your mind, head that way." He gave a nodded gesture down the road.

A tired small smile crossed her face when he gave her another glance. Her head nodded absently at his directions. The same pained look came across in the smile that Rick reflected back at her. "Keep fighting," she muttered weakly. Her arms found themselves wrapped around her body. The strong gaze they had held for a split second fell when Kyra shifted her attention back to the concrete structure below.

"You too." Rick returned in an even heavier tone. Kyra felt her willpower pull when his hand clapped on her shoulder. "I hope you find what you're lookin' for." He added, with a pause. "I really do." His hand gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. The words he'd spoken the night before were repeated and pulled at her strength to follow through with her decision. Solemnly, he dropped his hand from her shoulder and grabbed the map off the car.

Kyra felt her entire being cave at the sound of doors closing around her. She glanced sadly at the vehicles and the people still fighting to survive within them. They had nothing to say to her and neither did she. She wasn't a true part of their group as Rick had seen it. That was okay. She didn't need or want to feel that she was letting any of them down. It was bad enough she was giving up the one promise she'd made to Sean. Her heart leap pathetically when the engines started to life. A desperate part of her longed for Rick to grab onto her shoulder one last time and make real sense out of the situation. She wanted to feel that strength again. She wanted to understand how he did it. There was also the fleeting hope that he'd ask her one last time to stay with them. Her face fell completely as each car moved along the road. The roaring growl of a motorcycle was the last vehicle to grab her attention as it came to a stop beside her.

"Take some of em out with ya." Daryl grumbled, shoving a handful of wooden arrows into her chest. Kyra readjusted her arms to fit snuggly around the base of the arrows. Her posture sagged even more at the sharp intense look he gave her. She offered a weak nod of understanding before he revved his bike back to life. "Crazy, lady." He grumbled, pulling back on the accelerator to gain ground on the group.

Her eyes followed the group as they made their way farther and farther down the road. The silent sound of a dead world crept in around her the minute they were out of sight. She took another deep breath. The weight of her decision dragged at her. Her eyes darted around the forest. The terrifying feeling of truly being alone again hit her hard as she dropped the arrows and threw another frantic glance to the road ahead of her. A desperately fading hope that one of them would come back for her tugged at her faint will to live.

She shook her head the minute her eyes began to sting with desperate tears. She hadn't expected any of this to be so emotional for her. The decision was hers and it was right. Her ties to that group were nothing major. There was absolutely no reason for her to feel so compelled to chase after them, yet she did. She took a shaky breath and jammed the heels of her hands into her eyes. She was going to have to be strong enough now to live with the choice she made with whatever small fraction of time she had left. Her mind shot to a buried memory as she looked hopelessly around herself.

_The gut wrenching sound of bodies slamming into wood echoed through the boarded up house. Kyra watched in horror as the first beam of support buckled against the force of the weight leaning endlessly into it. Her hands shook violently. Her grip on the black pistol wavering with each crack and snap the wood gave._

"_It isn't going to hold, Josh." Rebecca whispered desperately. Her dark eyes drifted from the cracking window supports and back to the main entrance._

"_There's nothing we can do but sit here and wait." Josh shook his head, running a badly bruised hand over his face._

"_If we can get to the cars we might be able to get the hell out of here." Rebecca tried with more desperation. "There's more than enough of us to push our way around back."_

"_That's insane." Eric stated bluntly._

"_We have to do something." Tonya chimed in. Her hands also preoccupied with a slightly steadier grip on a gun._

_A thundering snap echoed across the room. The eleven survivors jolted and anxiously pushed farther back into the room and away from the door. Kyra took a step closer to the stairs leading up to the second floor. She could make a run for it and get to a car. She knew she could if all the walkers were distracted by the rest of the group._

"_Rebecca has a point." Kyra offered with a weak nod, her body jumped as another splintered crack rang out around them. She was getting out of here with or without them._

Her squinted teary eyes fell back on the ten arrows that lay in front of her. This was her chance to at least make her ending have meaning. Maybe for once she could find strength to fight. She crouched down and began picking the arrows off the ground one at a time. Her mind circling over which way to go or if she should just make her stand here. Her stomach fell to the depths of her abdomen at that notion. The real fear of being surrounded by walkers with no way out ebbed into her mind. She wasn't even sure if she could do any damage in that situation as the memories continued to drift distractingly through her mind.

_The echoing loud growls, gurgles, wheezes, and clicks echoed out in a chorus of chaos behind her as she flew up the stairs and towards the window. Frantically, she pushed against the pane willing the lock to give at the force. An ear piercing scream blared behind her. With one final push the window gave and Kyra stumbled onto the roof. _

_Her eyes fell to the breach at the back and walkers now making their way inside. She tossed one fleeting glance back at the building and gun shots being fired within. _

A chill swept down her spine with the memory. It bashed into her conscious with an insane amount of force. The fear grew higher and dragged her stomach down even farther. She had to get moving. She couldn't just sit and wait. She sucked in a sharp breath at the feel of bile rising in her throat. The horrifying truth to her impending death was too much for her to stomach. It was too much for her to accept.

With clenched teeth she grabbed the remaining arrows and forced her feet to move down the road. Her slow steps followed in those of the survivors far ahead of her by now. Her swollen eyes drifted over the truck and SUV left in their wake. The old vehicles were the only thing left. The only reminder of a chance at a life now gone. Her focus caught on the driver's side of the truck. Two night before reared into life before her troubled mind. In that moment she began to doubt her own decision. Another chill clawed its way down her spine as she stared at the window.

She shook her head frantically doing her best to shake the memories and overwhelming fear wrapping around her. Her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she forced herself to continue forward. A weak determined noise of determination rattled through her throat. She couldn't think about her decision anymore. It was done. The time she had left would have to be spent moving forward instead of focusing on the behind.

Her momentary rush of confidence died just as soon as it started. A wheezing, gurgling, pop sounded off to her left. Kyra glanced in the direction. All color drained from her sharp face at the sight of a walker staggering onto the road way. Its gnarled gaunt face and protruding jaw clicked together hungrily. A chunk of its neck hung loosely from its body. The pale morning light gave its grey rotted flesh a disturbing glow. Acidic bile reached the back of Kyra's throat without warning causing her to half retch. She wasn't ready for this fight yet.

"Oh god." She muttered to herself, sucking in another shaky breath. The force of the air was enough to push back the bile giving her the focus to actually move. Five minutes after letting the group leave she was doing what she had been doing the many months leading up to this. Her feet pushed into the hard pavement sending an echo of steps out amongst the still forest. Each step shot a flaring pain up along her legs. Her hands both gripped tightly onto the ten arrows that she had left in her title to life. She couldn't help but think with a twisted bitter smile that Daryl, the awkward fierce redneck, might actually have good insight. She was crazy. There had never been a moment yet where Daryl's words were the ones taunting her. Yet, they were much better than the haunting memories she refused to focus on.

A growly heavy breath sounded from her right cutting the momentary feeling of twisted humor short. She chanced a glance haphazardly over her shoulder to see a second walker stumbling along in her wake. "Shit!" She breathed out at the sight and gripping cramp that flared to life at her side. Her hand flew to the cramp, while she clenched down on her teeth willing herself to keep moving. Her eyes darted frantically along the roadway and woods surrounding it. She forced her weight forward with bounded half limp steps.

Her lungs screamed for air with each faltered step she took. The slow approach of the walkers and their nauseating sounds grew louder as her pace slowed. She tossed another glance back to the new walker. Her stomach jumped at the sight of its exposed and decayed oozing forehead. The black blood having already left large smudges around its teal contracted eyes.

She sucked in a sharp short breath willing herself to stay focused. After months of living this she couldn't let her composure and stomach get the better of her now. She gave a very weak glance to the line of trees at her left making a stumbled weakened dash towards them. Each breath she took now bit sharply into her side. She needed to get her breath back. The splintered edges of the arrows cut into her hand as she bounded off the edge of the road and staggered her way into the woods.

A new hungering gurgle joined the distant ones at her rear. Desperately, Kyra crashed through the woods, stumbling over branches while still clutching at her side. She had to stop. She was only making matters worse with each crunched step she took. In that moment she wanted her group back. It had taken her actually leaving them to realize just how much she needed them. She couldn't fight this alone and wasn't ready to die. She had been so sure of her choice, yet now it would be the biggest regret in her life.

"Rick!" She found herself calling out weakly as she slammed her back into a thick tree facing away from the walkers. She took a steadying breath as the world grew fuzzy for a second. "Daryl!" She tried with even more desperation climbing into her tone. The gurgling clicks and harsh rustle of the forest floor grew louder. Kyra shot a frantic look to the side waiting for the diseased corpse to make an appearance. With a shaky gasp she grabbed one of the arrows letting the others fall to her feet.

A black smudged mangled skull and withered paling arms came into view with the wheezing gurgling of the walker. Kyra aimed her arrow just as it turned its body towards her. A freezing chill raced through her veins. The world slowed around her in a twisted sick mock of her inability to fight. The same dull echo of the sounds around her recaptured her senses. It felt like the night all over ago except this time she wanted to fight back, even if her body was struggling against it.

In the end she just wasn't strong enough to face her death without fear or second thoughts. She wanted to live. She needed to live. With that she forced herself forward awkwardly. The arrow drove straight through the weakened skull of the walker with a sickening sharp crunch. Black blood oozed from the hole beneath its jaw onto the wooden arrow, leading a trail down to Kyra's pale hands.

**Does the precious gets a review for her hard works on the chaptersies?**

_Flaming hurts. Seriously I took my flame retardant suit to the dry-cleaners guys. Don't kill me._


	10. Carry On

**Panic's Note: **Hey guys I thought I'd go ahead and give you another chapter to make up for being MIA. The goal is to get at least a chapter if not two done per week until I catch ground on the current season. We'll see how well I can stick to this schedule, but so far so good! So expect to see updates from me every Tuesday and Saturday!

I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter and deviation away from the group. Bear in mind that these chapters are for development and a sort of median between the two seasons. I'm glad you guys all seem to be enjoying Kyra as a character. You'll get some more exposure to her alone in this chapter, but the ending should get things back in motion from this detour. I've got a lot in store for you guys!

I love all the wonderful reviewers, followers, readers, and favs tagged to this piece. It means the world to me guys. I just hope some of you come back and are still interested in this.

And back to the action!

**Chapter 10: Carry On**

Ice blue swollen eyes remained fixed to the black clotted beads of blood that fell along the arrow. Its' raining trail lead an awkward splattered path down onto her fingertips. The cool feel of the dead fluid felt oddly soothing to her. It was another thing she could literally feel. Yet, another piece of this world that made everything around her a reality. No matter how hard she tried to withdrawal, to escape, to find a quiet corner of her mind and die within it; she couldn't. There would always be this base line sense that would keep her struggling to remain standing. Any pain would break her from succumbing to this world.

Her focus suddenly darted away from the soaked arrow and rotted flesh hinging on it to her pale hands. The splatter of fluid and flesh alike caked around and rolled onto her hands. All sense of feeling soothed quickly slipped from her mind followed by a clumsy step away from the dead corpse. She shook her head violently as she slammed her back against the broad brittle trunk of a tree. "No, no, no, no, no," she muttered, franticly rubbing her hands over her jeans. She could feel a slight sting along the palm of her hand. Tears blurred the edge of her vision as she directed her attention down to her scabbed palms with a few forced blinks.

"Fuck!" Her voice cracked as her hands returned to her jeans in a haphazard attempt to remove the dirt and walker blood now mingling with the many small scrapes on her palm. A small part of her mind flagged a red alarm at the sight. Her previous life flashed in with each frantic motion she made. "This isn't, it's not fair." She croaked, lifting her hand to see a small dot of red blood seeping from a cut near her thumb. She stared at the now open wound. Her gray tinted skin around it noted the mix of dirt and walker blood still on it.

Her vision blurred over as more tears fell freely from her eyes. The want to control her emotions was gone. Her final grips on hope fell as she drew her knees into her chest and wrapped her arms securely around them. The likely infected hand gripped tightly to the inside of her arm. The rational part of her mind focused on containing and closing the wound with added pressure. Although everything in her body screamed for her to stop, to just give in. No one was coming to save her and no one could. It was game over. There was no way the blood of the dead hadn't found a way into her system, which given the conditions wasn't ready to fight anything. A strangled muffled sob racked her body, while she squeezed even tighter in on herself.

She couldn't get a grasp on any coherent thought. There wasn't anything there to hold on to. Her own two eyes had witnessed and assessed the damage. She couldn't even place what compelled her to stare at the dead walker as its blood contaminated her skin. A sudden rush of rage flushed through her as another sob rattled her small frame. All remaining life within her wanted nothing more than find Daryl and drive an arrow through his idiotic skull. That would be the best reward for this awful pending death.

She tilted her head giving just enough sight to focus in on the protruding arrow. Its roughly carved edges left tiny slithers of wood jutting out around it. The chunks of rotted decayed flesh sunk in around it. Kyra threw out her foot kicking the side of the walker. This was his fault, not hers. She had killed the damn thing beside her. She had actually done it right. Proven, for a second time, she could kill them when forced to. That, maybe, somewhere deep inside her she wasn't afraid and could fight this chaos. In a sick way this could be Shane's fault too. She pushed out her foot again giving it an even harder kick causing the withered body to rustle over the leaves. He had made her learn this style of execution. It was close range effective, but also dangerous. It was a method that she would've never attempted if he hadn't slammed the crowbar into her hand and engaged the walker.

Another choking sob rang out from her dried throat as she curled back in on herself. The edges of her sanity caved, while she shuffled her feet to get farther away from the tainted blood seeping walker and arrow lodged within it. She sucked in a shallow breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Her mind narrowed in on the hand now shaking as it held tightly to her chest. Her body braced waiting for the inevitable searing pain to course through her veins.

_A shrill scream blared inside the ambulance. A slender woman lay doubled over in a fetal position on the gurney. Her flushed skin was damp with the sheen of sweat. The heat radiated off it in a testament to the scream piercing through her throat._

"_Ma'am," Kyra tried, reaching a hand to rest on her shoulder. "Ma'am I need you to stay calm. Okay?" Kyra added as she glanced back to the limited supplies at her disposal. "I need you to tell me what's hurting. Can you do that?" She asked without a response. Quickly, she moved to the supplies her eyes roamed over the various vials trying to find the most effective pain suppressant. _

_The rattle of the gurney scraping over the metal floor of the ambulance recaptured Kyra's attention. Her eyes locked to the seizing woman. "Jared, stop! She's, something's not, I don't know, oh god, she's coding!" _

A rustle and dragged step forced Kyra's eyes to open wide. She desperately tried to focus on the actual world as her mouth bit down on her arm in order to stop her audible crying. Her body shook pathetically as she pushed herself even closer to the tree. The sound grew harsher. Her eyes jumped to the direction of the noise. A distant wheezing and gurgle soon joined into the rustle of leaves being dragged along the wooded ground. Kyra choked back another hopeless sob. Her mind and body frantically reached for an action. The world around her once again became a slow moving scene. Her mind grabbed for an action that wasn't there. Addition cluttered sounds of snaps only made it worse. A walker was closing in on her. Yet, she couldn't make herself move.

"_Is that a-"Jared started, reaching down to pull back the hem of the woman's skirt. "What is that?" He breathed._

"_It doesn't matter." Kyra grunted as she quickly unbuttoned the woman's shirt. "We need to stabilize her. Help, dammit!" Her attention stayed tied to the dying, while her fingers released the final button allowing her enough room to place pads upon the chest._

"_Kyra," Jared's voice came across weaker. "That's, uh, that's a bite." His clumsy steps echoed through the ambulance._

"_A wha-"Kyra began, but was soon cut off by Jared who rushed towards the patient and frantically unstrapped the gurney from its dockings. "What are you doing?" She yelled at a loss, launching herself at him in attempt to make him stop._

"_Listen to the radio!" Jared growled back before slamming his weight back against her._

Kyra bit down harder on her arm as her vision blurred again. The silenced sob sent another rough rattle through her body. The faint sound of twigs and leaves crackled below her as she willed herself to focus. Slowly, she reached a shaky hand out to the ground beside her. Her gaze remained glued to her periphery, while her hand haphazardly pushed through the leaves. The approaching walker was easily within range of her. Its chorus of crippled sounds was the only thing she could define. Her breath caught when her hand found a wooden arrow. Frantically, she pulled the weapon back to her side. Every muscle within her body tensed at the ready. Her shaky grip on the arrow once again bit into her hand.

Corroded remnants of a leather boot was the first thing Kyra saw before the mangled body of the walker came into view. Her breath caught in a ragged gasp. The startled sound was enough to attract the walker's attention. Its pale cyan lifeless eyes fell on her as its black coated mouth opened eagerly. Before Kyra had a chance to fully get a visual of the thing it had launched itself down on top of her.

Kyra struggled for a breath as she pushed against the force of the walker bearing down on her. Its teeth snapped loudly with each greedy reach its bony hand made. A slight yelp escaped her. Her body flailed frantically trying to get away from it. The weight of the walker forced her to hold it back. Helpless eyes darted from the walker to the arrow as she desperately tried to figure out an escape. The walker pushed harder down on her with another weak grasp, which allowed its half rotted face to come even closer to her own. The suffocating smell initiated a choked back gag.

Roughly, she pushed against the dead weight. Her hands dug into the rotted flesh, while her legs kicked uselessly against it. For every inch she gained the walker recovered two. Her vision blurred again as her arms began to give against it. Everything she had promised. Every life she had surrendered. Every part of her went out in a final strangled sob. Her eyes snapped shut the moment her arms gave way. The only instinct left within her drove the arrow upwards aimlessly into the walker. Its dead weight pounded into her sending a sharp burst of pain branching out through her body. The little bit of life left within her came to a shuddering stop.

_Kyra couldn't move. She could just watch. The scene before her seemed so entirely unbelievable, impossible even. Yet, the spray of red jutting out between the many people, or dead people, the walkers, was real. It didn't seem like any time had passed from leaving the ambulance to standing in this building with her eyes locked on the cruel scene she'd left. She didn't feel anything as she watched. A part of her didn't want to comprehend it. There was no logical or even medical explanation for this. People didn't die and come back to life. They didn't come back to kill with teeth and hands. She flinched and took a small step back as another spray of blood fell upon the sea of walkers. The slightest glimpse of mangled flesh peeked above the crowding bodies._

_A single tear broke her frozen state as she saw another slither of flesh fly over the walkers. Her hand shook uncontrollably with white knuckles holding fiercely to the black standard issued gun. He wouldn't be right behind her. She turned her head away from the visual. Her life had been his final call._

A faint distant echo of something dripping and oozing next to her ear sent the first spark through her defeated body. Something damp and cool rested heavily against her face as her head shook weakly. The odors that surrounded her worked their way into her noise causing another jolt to branch out through her body. Another soft plunk of something falling by her ear was the final trigger to startle her back into awareness.

Kyra's eyes jolted open. The sight of wires meshing in with the faint light coming through the tangled trees above was enough to make her shift her body painfully against the thing holding her down. Her head shook forcefully while she tried to understand what had happened. Her arms struggled under the weight with each strained attempt she made to free them.

Something damp dragged across her face sending a disgusting odor trailing up her noise. Her ragged breath caught against the smell as the world finally clicked back into place. A slight grunt escaped her as she pushed harder against the weight. Her body twisted oddly giving her enough space to slide a foot away from the source of her struggle.

She found herself staring up at the maze of tangled branches above, while she gulped in the air. The thought of facing what she had just rolled out from under sent a line of goose bumps down along her neck. Her mind strayed desperately back to Sean. In that moment she wanted to cling to those memories. It had been her only reminder as to why she was alive for so long, yet she couldn't seem to get a grasp on them. Not even the memory she had just revisited was within reach.

A twisted painful expression scrunched on her face as she tried to remember what he had looked like. Her thoughts zipped around in a tight spiral allowing no memory to shine through. She couldn't remember. She couldn't get any real image of him to come back to her. Her mind quickly turned to his voice and came up empty. There wasn't any recollection of the man she had forced herself to survive for. The sting of fresh tears pricked at the edge of her eyes at this realization. Somehow over the course of months she had forgotten him and it wasn't until now that she felt she had truly lost him.

Shakingly, she reached a hand up to her face. Slime and dirt clung to her hand as she dragged it along her cheek. A cool trail was left in its tracks as she tried to find him. Without meaning she couldn't get back up. There wasn't anything left in her to give if she couldn't remember what she'd lost. This world was sick and horrible, but through her memories she'd made it this far. Her hand returned to the edge of her cheek. Chunks of something disgustingly moist met the touch startling her back to her surroundings.

The zigged circles and endless desperate thoughts continued to race through her mind as she tilted her head to the right. A walker lay with a cracked and seeping skull. An arrow pressed diagonally through it creating two entry points. The miscellaneous clump pressed between her hand and face sent a wave of nausea through her stomach. Her heart rate began to climb frantically as she forced herself to sit up. Her gaze didn't stray from her kill. A tight cramp gripped onto her abdomen fiercely as the acidic burn of bile rising coursed through her throat.

She didn't have time to suck in a breath to combat the sickness. Within seconds she found herself staring at the forest floor and splatter of dark blood slung across it. Her body heaved horribly as the bile finally found its way up. She squeezed her eyes shut against the raw pain. The cool clammy feeling of left over walker clinging to her sent another strangling heave through her body as her stomach released the rest of its contents.

Kyra forced herself to keep her eyes closed. Arms shook against her weight as she remained in the position. She didn't want to see the damage she had done or feel the remainders of it on her. Yet, all of these sensations were growing with each second she tried to ignore them. Her abdomen cramped again as another slimy bit of flesh rolled along the length of her arm. Her head shook weakly at her throat muscles tightening. All she wanted was to see his face again, to remember why she had sprinted away from that bus against her better judgment. She wanted to understand why she was shaking with her head bowed to the ground six months after everything fell. For the first time she felt a surging need to know why. Rick's voice echoed in her head with the one word question. His tired, pained, and worn, but remarkably handsome face peered at her through pale blue eyes. Her face scrunched into another torn expression at the image her mind was able to recover.

Her head jerked in a semi-shake. She didn't want to remember them or him. Rick was never her problem; he was never even a voice in her mind. Her eyes opened in a narrowed glare. The slamming reality of what her battered mind landed on didn't make sense, but then again nothing was anymore. Surviving in this aftermath was quickly coming down to her sticking to one rule. If she could keep moving then maybe she could stay alive. She sucked in another deep breath before clumsily shifting to rest on her knees. Her attention came back to the walker as she forced every incoherent thought out of her mind and away from Rick. It was easier for her to focus on a kill than to find reason.

Walkers didn't seem so deadly to her coming from this standpoint. Never once had she gotten the chance to actually see what the dead looked like dead. She took another deep breath as she reached a tentative hand out to the arrow embedded deep within its decayed skull. Her fingers wrapped around the untainted end of the arrow and she tugged at it. The action made the skull bob with a low crack. A dented, caved in face met her gaze with the pull. Her weak attempt to free the arrow came to a stop as she stared at the withered walker. Webs of cracked gray skin branched out around the bits of flesh still intact. Its glossed over, contracted, teal eyes stood out against the black clotted sore and tanned flesh of its skull. The mess of brittle, wiry, hair that had been blocking her vision minutes ago was caked in the flecks of brain and black blood from the protruding arrow.

Her focus shifted to her grimy hand as she tugged at the arrow with more force. The slithers and flecks of flesh still clung to the smudges of blood holding to her skin. Her heart rate climbed again, but quickly fell at the sight. She shook her head weakly to push aside the lingering thoughts of easy contamination. The days of being careful and sanitary were long gone. The days of understanding and logically solving this were over. She released the arrow and clumsily pushed herself back to her feet.

The clear image of Rick pointing at the map and reiterating his directions flashed into the forefront of her mind as she took an off-balanced step towards the walker. Her hand found the arrow again, while her boot came to rest against the side of its head. She jerked the arrow from the walker. Black fluid flung out along with the arrow as the head landed against the ground with another sick crack. She mindlessly shook off any remaining walker before wiping the end of the arrow over her jeans.

There wasn't any real motivation in her actions, but she had found truth among all her jumbled and vying thoughts. She needed to pick up her arrows, herself, and keep moving. If the group of survivors past had taught her anything it was to move. In a daze she turned her attention on the other walker and proceeded to pull the arrow from it. Two new lines were crossed over the first as she wiped the remaining blood on her jeans. She couldn't seem to get a firm grasp on her surroundings, yet found comfort in the odd disconnect. In that moment she felt pulled between what was real and what she desperately wanted to be real. Her mind reached for Sean one last time as she bent to find the arrows tossed along the needled ground.

Kyra wanted to cling onto his memory, but still couldn't find him. She could hardly find the pushed aside memories of a group she had left. The things that had created the wall that held her back from being completely insane were fading out. In an off manner she roughly tucked the arrows into her back pocket and returned to the walker that almost took her life. With one unsteady motion she raised her foot over its sunken head. She tilted her head with an expressionless face. Everything within her screamed for a form of sensation and that propelled her to slam the heel of her boot into the skull.

The sickening crunches, cracks, and oozing sound of brain escaping the skull sent another flaring cramp through her abdomen. She shook her head against the urge to vomit, while keeping her eyes trained on the sight. This had to be that absolute worse it could get. She pressed her boot farther into the collage of matter underneath it. A new spring of blood seeped out from the source as another, weaker, cramp gripped at her stomach. She forced herself to stare at the disgusting mess beneath her until the cramp began to fade. There was a strange sense of building power she felt she gained from facing her enemy and dissecting it as she was.

The dazed and dulled shifting states of her mind was attuned enough to lead her away from her kills and back through the woods. She still couldn't find the clarity to focus on her surroundings. Trunks, logs, and tangled branches caused her to stumble in an unsure direction back towards what she thought was the road.

Boots meeting pavement gave her a slight spike of joy. Her head tilted up to the sky and an unsteady hand rose to block the bright light beaming down at her. There was no concept of time for her, but the brightness seemed to give enough cues to it being broad day. Slowly, she turned and glanced in each direction. The road wore on, yet nothing seemed to give her any sense of direction. She felt neither disappointed nor defeated by this as she took a stepped along the road facing the sun.

Moving was her sole objective. She wasn't concerned with where she wound up or what she might find along the way. It didn't faze her that her current path might be leading her away from Rick's group, despite the fact that he was the only stable image and memory within her mind. So long as she kept moving she was bound to find something. In her current state direction wasn't a concern. It was taking everything within her to just stay moving as her thoughts continued to struggle with whatever loose grip on reality she had.

She fought to concentrate on the sounds around her. A part of her still battled against releasing the fear and panic she seemed to dive into every time she came within range of a walker. Yet, after her earlier encounter it didn't seem as strong or relevant. If she had to kill another she would do it, regardless of her feelings.

Kyra's leg felt like lead as the sun continued to rise above her. Her path remained entirely aimless going in the direction she'd chosen. A rustle of leaves and branches veering off to the right seemed to nag at the back her mind, but didn't grab her full attention. Instead she continued moving forward without giving a single glance in the direction of the sound. If it was a walker and got too close she'd figure out a way to kill it. At least that was her momentary numb thought about it. Her focus continued to drift from slipping memory to slipping memory as she wandered off the road and into the shade of the woods lining it. Not once did her steps stop. It was her only painful reminder that she was walking this earth, even though she felt detached from it. She was still breathing and living.

Her focus was jarred back into reality the moment her knees hit the ground. She blinked forcefully at the dried grass before her. The details of it were lost in the darkness that had slowly fallen around her. Her hands pushed against the ground in a clumsy attempt to get her back on her feet. Dark blue stretched out above her, while she stumbled to get her balance back. Her gaze shifted back to the ground and root that had tripped her. She stood frozen to the spot as she once again tried to grasp onto the world around her.

A loud pop echoed along the barren road, which jolted Kyra back to her current position. The slightest sign of alertness sprang back into her features as she glanced around trying to locate the source of the sound. Another pop rang out closer to her position, or so it seemed. Without much thought her hand reached around to her back pocket. Blindly, she grabbed an arrow before dropping her tensed arm back to her side. She spun herself around in a haphazard 360, while trying to see or hear what caused the noise.

Kyra's footing felt entirely off balance and vision blurred when she came to a stop. There wasn't a single thing around her. In fact it seemed almost too quiet. Her stomach plummeted into the depths of her abdomen at that thought. One fleeting thought ripped at what little stability she had left. She couldn't help but feel that she was imagining sounds. At that she wasn't even sure if what she was, or wasn't, seeing was real. Her heart rate soared as she turned another 360. Frantic eyes darted around her spinning surroundings unable to focus on anything. She came to another stop and felt an entirely new chill creep over her body. In that moment she wondered if she was dead. That this endless walking and vacant highway was the special section hell she'd be designated to wander.

Her ass hitting the ground sent a flaring pain up her spine, which successfully extinguished her surreal train of thoughts. A delayed wince pulled across her face as she failed to get a sturdy enough hold on the ground to push herself back up. She shook her head and blinked her eyes fighting to get an actual visual of her surroundings.

Another blaring pop sounded around her sending her gaze in a useless circle again. With a quick, yet clumsy, motion she managed to stumble back to her feet. Her focus finally narrowed in on her surroundings the sound of shuffling, dragging, and crackling soon taking precedence over the undisclosed popping sound. Her right hand flexed instinctively at the sound, yet nothing was held within its grasp.

Wild eyes flew across the road and lining tress as she retrieved another arrow. Her gaze slipped to it for a split second allowing her enough time to notice the shortened length of her improvised weapon. There wasn't any time for her to linger on the lessened utility of it. Her steps were still horribly uncalculated with every one that brought her closer to the woods.

She vaguely recalled a louder pop before the strength of her victory was diminished at the sight of a new threat. Her muscles tensed at the outline of a walker approaching. Its body effectively blocked her entrance into the woods. She tossed a few glances to her alternatives. Her face fell into a hard line when no other path came into view. She bit back the fear rising within her as she took a weak step forward. The darkness made pinning the walker harder. Each step it took brought it closer to her, but offered very little in a visual.

Kyra sucked in a deep breath and let it go before taking another forcefully weak step forward and raised the cut off arrow. Her eyes narrowed in on the mangled, matted, clumped hair that caught in the moonlight. She gave it no more thought or observation as she launched herself forward and buried the arrow in its skull. A newfound stomach cramp sprang to life within her at the contact, but she didn't give it attention. The thunk of a body hitting the ground pulled her away from blocking the urge. Mindlessly, she pulled the arrow from the skull and continued forward. Her head shook tightly in protest of glancing back. She had to keep her attention forward. If she could gain enough courage to stomp on a head she could manage the walkers at night. At least that was her inspirational outlook.

The pops continued to sound around her as she crept farther into the woods. It was hard for her to gauge if she was getting closer to the source of the sounds or farther. She tried to remain as quiet as she could with every step she took farther into the woods. Her head gave a haphazard glance behind her at a snap echoing in the distance. No matter how hard she tried to focus nothing came into view in the growing darkness around her. She felt like she had made some grave error in taking this thoughtless path a little too late. At this point every which way she looked seemed to be the same.

The pops continued to fire off around her. It didn't seem to take long for her thoughts to start slipping all over again as they began to fade on top of each other. She violently shook her head against them as another snap was heard even closer to her. Her head shifted towards the sound. Once again she couldn't distinguish any threat amongst the woods, yet her eyes did catch on a slight flicker in the distance.

She found herself being pulled towards the flicker by her own curiosity. The returning feeling of fear came across in the shallow breaths she took with each step forward. Her gaze narrowed in on the growing flame. She knew better than to approach this, yet she couldn't bring herself to stop. Her fixation on the flames was short lived by a disrupting gurgle moving in on her right.

"We're drawling 'em in. Baitin' 'em, dipshit." A deep voice from a distance vaguely caught her attention as she twisted to find the walker. "So don't shoot 'em." She tossed a glance back to the visible fire. Again, she couldn't find the source of the gurgle much less the voices. The urge to hide seized control over her will to fight as she stumbled towards a dense patch of grown in trees and slammed her back against one.

"It got too close. I'm not here to die as bait." Another voice joined, much lower than the first. The blast of a gun firing shot out around the forest. This was enough for her to stupidly realize that the pops had been gun fire. Her breaths were coming in heavy as she worked up the courage to shift away from the tree in attempts to get a better view.

"Shut up," A deep southern voice joined in the mix. "Now you'll do what we tell ya to do. There's no arguin' out here. We get the walkers and head back. Am I clear?" The pop of a gun firing another round was the cue for Kyra to look. Her hand held tightly to the tree as she stretched herself around it.

She felt her heart drop at the sound of walker to her rear. In her attempt to get a better view of the people just ahead she had neglected to stay on alert for the walkers they were clearly attracting. She didn't have time to waste of figuring out why anyone in their right mind would contain walkers as she reached her free hand down to her few remaining arrows. Her grasp tightened around one just as the feel of a cool breath and wheeze touched her shoulder. She was far too scared to actually look back at the bite she knew was coming.

A faint swoosh and sound of a body hitting the ground was the next thing she noticed, but her attention was soon captured by the feel of a hand clasping down on her arm. The grip tightened giving her a rough tug.

**Reviews are held in a beautiful chamber close to my heart.**

_Flame suit's still in the shop folks. Death by fire doesn't seem all the appealing._


	11. Empty Face

**Panic's Note: **Against All Odd is closing in on 100 followers and has grabbed 50 favs. You guys can't imagine how happy that makes me as a writer. I never expected my first entry into the fan fiction arena to get the response and feedback it has. I am smiling like a completely insane person right now. I thank you all for staying around and reading!

Anyways, I'm here to present to you another chapter, give or take a few days, as promised! To make up for my horrible inability to stick to any type of an update schedule you get a longer chapter.

I have this chapter and one more planned before I take on season 3. I will be thickening the plot, so to speak, in order to do a passable time skip.

My heart goes out to all my readers, followers, favs, and reviewers (of which I seem to have run short on. Come back guys! I miss you!). I'm sure you all are aware of this by now though. I like giving out love where it's due =)

So, grab your nearest weapon - mine so happens to be a soda can…yeah - and let's get us some walker meat! Woo!

**Chapter 11: Empty Face**

A rough tug had been the second cue to Kyra that whatever held a tight grip on her arm wasn't about to sink decayed teeth into it. She couldn't bring herself to accept that she had been saved from a walker bite, if not feeding, while her eyes continued to stare absently at the burning fire yards in front of her.

Tensed muscles flared along her arm. The surge of cold coiled down her spine again, yet this time in reaction to something other than walkers. This wasn't the ending to her stepping away that she had expected. In a weird, almost redundant, sense she never thought that getting closer to whoever was shouting ahead would put her in range of being captured.

The edges of her mouth pulled in a faint humorless smile. Rick took the forefront of her mind as she remembered just how these types of encounters played out. The calloused hand tightened more over her slender arm encouraging the memory of Rick to fill out in her mind. It was the first memory that came back to her clearly and she found herself wanting to desperately protect it. She didn't have time to figure out why or even what she was going to do. Her hand flexed and tightened harshly against the splintered stunted edge of the arrow, while her entire body tensed ready to react. The only thing that she could do was keep that memory from being reclaimed by another.

Matted chestnut hair flared out around her head in the dull moonlight as she twisted violently away from the tight grasp. She struggled against the quickly loosening hold. Her hand rose the second her body flailed around to face whoever had saved her life, yet at the same time claimed it. That wildly fierce idea pushed her towards the person with a weak step. The point of the arrow found a target in the broad muscles of a flexed arm. Her eyes narrowed in on the dirt stained flesh. She forced herself closer to the target and stabbed the arrow down. Not once did her gaze slip from the mark.

"Kyra!" Her name grabbed her entire attention in a rushed familiar harsh whisper. Her gaze remained trained on the arrow now protruding from the tensed arm . She couldn't bring herself to actually turn her eyes away from the wound she inflicted.

"Crazy damn lady." Daryl grumbled, his hand curled around the end of the arrow and yanked it free. Her gaze shifted over the wound as a fine trail of blood leaked from the puncture. It was the first strike she'd landed that didn't entirely disconnect her, which noted by as the twinge of a weak cramp grasped her stomach. Her attention continued to drift down until it landed on the crossbow. The dull steel edges of the weapon managed to hold her attention giving her the much needed distraction. Nothing in her thoughts made sense as she continued to absently stare in an odd state of shock. There was no way the person in front of her was him. Her tired mind couldn't believe what she was seeing much less form an apology for the harm done. Her body jolted reflexively when the dull edge of the weapon moved to touch her thigh as her eyes shifted up to finally meet the intense, yet awkward, gaze of his.

"Daryl," she breathed, in a statement that came across more as a question. The expression she received in return seemed to be pulled between confusion and anger. A painful few seconds passed between them as she struggled to comprehend and accept that the man in front of her was real. He offered her an odd tight nod before he shoved the splintered bloody tipped arrow back into her hand.

"You're gonna need that," he bitterly mumbled, lifting the crossbow back up to rest against his shoulder. The feel of luke warm blood pressing into her palm pulled her away from her thought induced distractions. She glanced from the arrow to Daryl haphazardly. All of this was starting to feel entirely too much for her. Finally, her mouth opened to offer a delayed apology, but was cut off by the sound of gun fire blasting off in a battering chorus behind them. "Shit, come on." Her head turned back and eyes focused immediately on the fire just as the pressure of his hand gripping to her arm returned. Her attention was captured by the outline of a man restraining a walker. Her feet stumbled and dragged over the rough ground as Daryl started to forcefully pull her along. She craned her neck, jarring it to the right, giving her a brief view of a slanted blade glinting in the firelight.

"What in the hell are they doing?" She asked, her voice dropped off unsteadily. The force behind Daryl's grip pulled harder on her arm with each step deeper and farther away from the source they took. She found herself following his forceful jerks and tugs despite the fact that she wanted to actually get a hold on what was going on behind them. He didn't offer so much as a glance as he continued to pull them along in the dark woods. Slowly, her brain seemed to register the unnatural sounds growing around them.

Worn tired eyes darted over the blur of dark weathered trunks, overlapping limbs, and the shadowed collage of moonlit leaves in an attempt to locate the walkers. Her gaze skipped over the shadows creeping between the tress, while she fumbled absently with the slick bloodied arrow. The staggered shuffle of one of the many shadows caught her scattered attention. A slight spike in her pulse sent the first slither of fear breaking through the barrier she's weakly created that morning. All of her focus turned on the dark walker just beyond her focus. Once again an image of Rick teased at her mind. His memory was quickly starting to serve as the only constant thing she could fall back and hold on to. Her face set in a hard line and an odd determination forced her to find a steady grip on the saturated arrow.

Her sudden spike in determination and narrowed focus was jolted back to her front with a staggered stop. Daryl's free hand flew back to roughly fall against her thigh while a startled grunt escaped him. Stumbling into him seemed to be enough to earn a half glanced glare. The steadying hand resting against her leg shifted to push roughly against it. Kyra quickly took a blind step away from the disgruntled hunter. Her gaze jerked unsteadily back to the surrounding forest as she once again tried to find focus on the walker. .

Rugged boots crunched over the wooded floor as she shuffled her feet. The shadows were beginning to blend together in a twist of blacks and grays with each blurred pass of her surroundings she made. A stronger twinge of fear coursed back through her veins. Not a single thing was coming into focus. Her eyes squeezed shut and shot back open in a failed attempt to focus. She took a weak step closer towards Daryl and chanced a wide eyed glance in his general direction. Her body froze when her eyes found nothing standing to the right of her.

Quickly, her gaze darted to her rear before shooting to her left. The fear she had pushed down so easily before came rearing fully back to life. Her eyes once again tried to desperately find something to focus on against the dark collage of woods around her. The shadows seemed to blur together in a sick mock of her incoherent and severely deprived mind. The littlest bit of focus she had left came to the horrifying conclusion that she had been hallucinating. That, she had been right to stand in shock. Her own mind was giving her what she wanted to see. She had known it the moment she saw him. There was no way anyone was coming back for her. Her chance for surviving had left with them and now she was finding some deeply sick peace of mind by this.

Her tormented gaze shifted away from the unfocused blurs of shadows around her and came to rest on the arrow firmly within her grasp. A faint tent of dark red splotched the arrow and just as quickly as she had thought she'd found reality it slipped away from her. Her pulse fell down at the sight as the fear slowly pulled back. She took a shaky breath. Her eyes slammed shut again, while she shook her head tightly. The sight of Rick with a strong grip on her hand flooded back into focus. His deep soothing voice yelled at her to run. The pull of the memory made the reality of where she was less alarming. It was enough to keep her eyes closed and the world around her blocked out. The momentary peace didn't last long, however when the crashing face of a mangled walker pushed the comfort of Rick back to the depths of her mind. Her eyes flared open at the mental image. Her heart soared back into action with a startle as her body shifted to face the sound and walker that owned it.

Pale moonlight made the details of the close rotted walker easy enough to distinguish. Instead of taking those in Kyra closed them out. Whatever forced her forward last time came back to her. She took a bold step towards the withered crackled corpse and allowed her mind to disconnect. In her current mindset it wasn't unsettling for her to hear the sick sink of an arrow entering its target or to see the blackened blood the erupted from the wound. Her body stumbled away from the remains of the dead and attention flew to her left at the sound of a faint swoosh.

"Come on," Daryl barked in a forced command. His broad shoulders and head jerked in a tight gesture for her to follow. She barely heard the sound of another body hitting the dirt floor to her rear as she took the first steps to catch up with him. There wasn't any time left for her to collect her thoughts. Not even seeing what had moments ago been a certain hallucination could slow her down. She knew somewhere among all the crashes of disconnected thoughts that her survival rested on the man in front of her. That was all she needed to remind herself of as she struggled to push her sapped body into a jog.

The sole focus she could find that tied her back to the world around her came with the knife that was roughly pushed into her hand. With one glance she opened the blade and turned her attention back to Daryl. The off-white outlines of his wing patched vest moving away from her cued her to pick up her pace again. Weight from the knife gave her the first impression that she had managed to find a lose grip on the world. Among everything that pulled her away from reality she found that Daryl's ability to risk himself for her was proof that outweighed remaining alone.

The rugged hunter hadn't offered anything else, yet kept tabs on her with a quick glance every few minutes. Her weary gaze shifted past his broad form to the woods surrounding them. Nothing jumped out at her. At that she couldn't seem to find a single distinguished thing in the mix of darkness. Her eyes narrowed as she tried to hear beyond the lingering blast of gunfire and distant ambient sounds. Again she came up empty as she turned her attention back to Daryl.

His crossbow was cocked at the ready as he swept the weapon in a short span of the trees around them. His pace had turned into a quiet advance. Kyra watched him with cautious confusion. There was still nothing that she could see or hear that made his weird shift in posture make any sense. Doubts crept back into her thoughts, while her gaze drifted back over their surroundings one last time.

"What-" She started, a distinct edge slipped into her voice. She wanted to hear him speak or give her some indication that she wasn't truly starting to lose her mind. The question she wanted to ask didn't make it any farther. It fell short the second Daryl raised his hand. A slight frown crossed her face at the gesture. Whatever reassurance she had hoped to get faded as his hands counted off four and pointed in the general direction ahead of them.

She took a quiet step forward. Her eyes narrowed as she once again tried to find the targets Daryl had sighted. Her search was cut short by slight movement in her periphery. Her attention snapped back to Daryl as he moved off to the right. He pinned her with another awkward nodded gesture. She could barely make out his mouth move with the words he attempted to convey silently. A slight twinge of desperation tugged to follow after him. She had the sinking feeling that if he left her sights again she would lose him. Her confused thoughts pulled at each other as she forced herself to start moving slowly in the opposite direction. There was only one possible thing he could be trying to get her to do.

The first thing she registered was directionless shuffles and wheezed groans. Her body tensed at the sound, while her eyes shot in the direction of it. Each foot step she took fell with a soft crunch. The dim outline of tree trunks and low hanging branches was the only thing she could make out. It had never been her approach to find the walkers instead of them finding her. At that she wasn't even sure what the plan was. Fear slowly began to seep back into her. The steady rise of a climbing pulse echoed in her ears.

Another small step forward landed with a loud snap. Her foot rose away from the broken branch she had neglected to step over. The basic instinct and reflex to run as fast as possible away from the noise bit down on her. Frantic glances shot out towards the surrounding trees in a desperate attempt to finally find what she had been seeking. The loud rustle and eager wheeze of her target sent another urge to flee coursing through her body. She flexed her hand taking a small step back. Her mind jumped haphazardly to the weight of the knife then back to Daryl. Close snaps and rustles grabbed her attention as her eyes darted to the trees at her right. The first paled line of a bony arm extended from it. She took another unsteady anxious step back. Every action she made only pushed her to get away from the walker. She shook her head slightly against the sudden overwhelming need to run like she always had. Running wasn't her choice anymore.

The features rotting and withering away on flesh caught her gaze, yet again she pushed them out. Her jaw jumped and teeth bore down in a tight clench. All of her thoughts came to another odd stop the moment her body took a step towards it. She didn't let the flail of its bony hand slow her approach. The eager staggered stumble it welcomed her with was met by a poised blade. A slight twitch narrowed her vision as she thoughtlessly found her mark in a brittle mass of tangled clumped hair. She took a final bold step forward and jutted the blade out to meet the walker's skull with a forced stab.

Kyra's head snapped back to the right in a tangle of hair at the soft swoosh of an arrow. Her eyes looked through the mess of hair just in time to catch the second shadowed walker fall to the ground a few feet from her. Blackened blood flew away from her blade as she jerked her attention away from the dead to the gurgle of another. Not once did she let herself actively think about her actions. A part of her felt completely detached from them as she forced her way between the trees and towards the next walker. She vaguely heard the crunch of pine nettles and leaves behind her, yet nothing could gain her focus over the growing sound and etched shadow of her new target.

Again, she found herself reacting without thinking. Not even the blurred out edges of the walker seemed to make it through her absent locked gaze. She numbly registered her grip tightening down on the cracked rubber of the knife before she felt and heard the puncture of its blade. The entire act of downing this walker came through in a haze as she pulled the blade from its skull and stabbed it down again. The second round of seeping splattered flesh flecking up onto her arm sent her conscious focus back to the walker she was driving the blade into. There was no reason or intent to what she was doing, but for the first time she felt a sick sense of power out of killing the damn thing. She withdrew the blade again in a swing of decayed flesh. Her heart rate climbed a bit as her mind finally caught up with what she was doing. The daunting and debilitating pull of her fears sparked back to life with them, yet she forced herself to plunge the knife into it again.

"Gimme that," Daryl's aggravated tone cut through her unstable focus, but she pushed it back. Her narrowed eyes burned against dry tears as she twisted the blade deeper inside the caving battered skull. She slowly withdrew the knife with a shaky hand, while her gaze remained on the exposed slices sunken deep against it. Her mind couldn't catch up with her body as her hand shifted to dig the blade back into the skull. A painful pressure twisted around her wrist. "Drop the god damn knife." He added between clenched teeth.

Her confused eyes shifted over to meet the intimidating glare of Daryl's as the knife slid from her grip. She heard the faint sink of the knife reentering the overkilled walker. The tight pressure on her wrist released as Daryl shifted awkwardly away from her in his crouched position. Her gaze drifted to the rustle his sudden movement created and remained there for a moment, while she tried to garner any hold she could find on the world.

"You ain't crazy. You're damn stupid." Daryl grunted bitterly. She turned her eyes back up to him as he slid the blade over his pants. Confusion and anger were once again pulled across his features. "Stupid crazy," He continued, while folding the blade back into the knife and shoving it into his pocket.

"I was just following your lead." She offered in a weak defense as she wearily pushed herself back to her feet. "You, you wanted them dead, right?" She added, her words caught and faltered the moment her gaze fell down to the mangled remains of the head she had hollowly been stabbing. A sharp cramp flared in the pit of her stomach at the sight, while a similar pain shot blindingly through her skull. Whatever disconnect and detached state she had found had left her.

"You should be right there with 'em." He responded in a tense tone. Kyra shook her head weakly against the pains. Her jaw jumped and eyes slammed shut at the rush of saliva sickly seeping into her mouth. "Don't seem worth it," his rough voice sent another spike of pain through her mind, yet the brush of his broad shoulder bumping into hers was enough for her eyes to open and find focus on him.

"Actions," Her voice came out weakly as she breathed in a shallow breath. Her worn gaze fell on the walker one last time as a final biting pain branched out through her. "They speak louder than words." She breathed out lamely, forcefully pushing herself to follow Daryl. It crossed her mind that she wasn't making much sense, but that thought didn't remain long among the many that crowded her delusional mind.

"Ya might wanna look to that." His head cocked to the side in a half glance back at her. The width of the crossbow kept her from distinguishing his expression, yet the biting tone was more than enough for her overworked mind to comprehend. "Stupid crazy lady," he grumbled to himself after a few uncomfortable seconds passed between them.

Kyra struggled to wrap her mind around his comeback. Her legs reached a new level of painfully numb as she stumbled and pushed herself to keep up with his longer strides. She felt the slight pull of her thoughts with each attempt she made at actually considering her words and those offered by Daryl, yet none of it fell together. It was starting to feel that with each minute passed she was only falling farther away from keeping it together. There was nothing else her brain could even work out to say as she followed Daryl blindly.

The roar and echoing clunk of metal hitting heavily against metal pulled her back to her surroundings. Strained blue eyes widened and shifted to the dark woods in front of her before moving haphazardly over and past them. She caught sight of bright high beams between a break in the tightly positioned tress. Not a single thought or glance went to Daryl as she moved to step around him. Her mind shifted back to the roaring fire, gun shots, and bladed man.

Slight stings flared along her hands and arms as she forced herself through a barricade of low hanging branches. Her gaze fell along the tire tracks that created a dirt trail within the dense woods. It caught on the distant red tail lights of the vehicle she had mindlessly moved towards. She felt oddly disappointed as an annoyed grumble caught her attention from behind. Her eyes narrowed in slight confusion at the blank, yet guarded look forced on his dirt smudged face. He didn't seem to be paying attention to her as he carefully followed the line of tire tracks leading away from them. She watched with a blend of curiosity and confusion at the sight of him crouching down and dragging a hand over the deep grooves of the tracks.

"What are you doing?" Her voice came out in a dry question, while her mind struggled to find reason for his strange actions. If she had expected a reaction to her dazed stumble away from him it wasn't this.

"Don't matter," Daryl answered. His voice came off awkwardly defensive as he turned his attention back to her and pushed himself to his feet. "It ain't good to be out in the open like this." His toned shoulders heaved in another stiff roll as he readjusted his crossbow. The action mildly nagged in the back of her mind, while she tried to focus enough to speak again. "Walkers'll get drawn to 'em." He added with a slight nod towards the vehicle now gone. The statement sounded every bit like instructions to her. A sudden flare of anger and rage pushed forward with that.

"Is that your nice way of saying bye?" She accused as his intense eyes jerked back to focus on her. She wasn't even sure where the question much less thought had come from, but couldn't stop herself from voicing them, even if she was jumping to conclusion. "The shitty arrows were enough, Daryl. I'll play stupid crazy lady well enough without your instructions. Save them for someone worth it." Her voice grew increasingly more bitter and hostile as her mind made the leap to what he'd said earlier.

"Ain't a matter of if you're worth it. I can't have ya wastin' my shitty arrows like that. Just standin' there." Daryl fired back, a crease pulled at his eyebrows marking his confusion and irritation "At least you figured out how to stab," he added as his features narrowed into a hard glare. "Maybe next time you'll think to look around ya 'fore goin' crazy bitch with a knife." He dropped his gaze back to the ground and took a step onto the treaded tracks.

"I don't know why you're acting surprised by it. You've been calling me crazy lady since we've met. Last I checked you can't fix crazy." She threw back, a new edge rose in her strained voice. The sides of her mouth pulled into a tight forced smile. "So if I'm not worth it and bat shit crazy," she bit out the last few words before sucking in a deep breath and taking a quick step to catch up with him. She could see a slight jump in his shoulders as they tensed. He seemed determined to ignore anything else she had to say. "Why the fuck did you save my life?" Her voice cracked as she reached an emotionally charged range, while her mind continued to shift between thoughts. In that moment she wasn't even sure of the point she was trying to make, yet oddly enough it was easy for her to unload everything onto the quiet man. It was also the first time since leaving that she actually felt like her thoughts were coming back together.

"No, actually," she started with a jerk of her head as a sudden fact slammed into the forefront of her thoughts. "What are you even doing out here?" She half shouted at him as her boot caught within the groove of the tracks. Not a single thought went to the unsteady stumbled step forward or careful glance Daryl gave. "Were you following me? Was all of that some kind of mental twisted physical test?" She bit out lowly, her arm flailed out in a wild waved gesture to the woods behind them. Her boots stomped firmly into the dried churned dirt beneath her as she came to an aggravated stop.

"You ain't my problem, but that annoyin' loud voice of yours will be." Daryl growled back. He tossed a quick glance back at her, while pinning her with a fiercer glare.

"Did Rick put you up to this?" Kyra found herself asking before her mind could think better of it. The sudden pull of his memory and strength caused the edge in her voice to waver slightly. She found herself pulled between them and the challenging glare she held with Daryl as she tried to concentrate.

"The hell's he got to do with anything?" Daryl turned back to face her, his voice caught the same defensive tone. "He ain't here and damn well didn't go through that shit." He gave a stiff nod back to the woods. Kyra held his gaze, but couldn't hold the glare she'd been returning. She wasn't sure what had set him off. The want to have him fight back came to a crashing stop as she saw the faintest awkward flash of a hurt expression cross his face.

"Then why are you out here?" Kyra asked, her voice falling back to its normal range. She watched uncomfortably as his gaze fell back to the ground, while he absently kicked at the loose soil. A part of her thought he was finally done with her as he turned his attention back to the woods.

"I was huntin'."He stated bluntly as the back of his hand brushed roughly over his forehead, while continued to avoid eye contact with her.

"In the dark?" She countered, trying her best to keep from sounding bitter. Her head shook absently as she once again tried to make the connections between everything that had happened throughout the day. She felt the pull of her welcoming memories and the focus fall back to Rick, yet didn't linger on them.

"Don't worry 'bout it." Daryl grumbled. "Makes no difference to you," he added, giving her another awkward glance before completely turning his attention back to the line of trees.

"You were getting closer to them too, Daryl," She stated bluntly. Her words jolted the conversation away from her and to the people that had brought both of them together. She still felt a tug of curiosity towards the bladed armed man and all the gun shots. It effectively rerouted her focus away from the mess her thoughts had landed her in.

"Don't worry 'bout it." Daryl harshly reiterated.

"I'm not worried. I just want to know why." Kyra pressed, making her tired legs move to continue following him. "We could've hung back and figured out who they were or at least what they were up to." She stated with a weak shrug. "They seemed like they might've had a better grip on all of this."

"Shut the hell up." Daryl growled, fixing her with another heated glare from over his shoulder. "I might've gotten closer to that if you hadn't been attractin' walkers." His voice grew louder, while he shook his head tightly. "Nobody's makin' you stay." There wasn't much time for her to understand the weight of his words as he crossed over the second tracks and headed quickly towards the next tree line.

"Why are you?" Kyra called after him. "You had every chance not once, but twice, to let me die. You could lose me right now, but you're staying," her tangled hair scratched along her face as she let her gaze fall to the ground with a weak shake of her head. The biting edge of her rash comments and accusations collided with Daryl's responses, while her gait slowed to match pace with her unsteady jumps in thought. She could feel the dull throb of a headache starting in her temple with each jump.

"Thought I told ya to shut up." Daryl grumbled, his voice missing the harsh undertones. Her head bobbed in a small nod. She didn't have the processing strength in mind to figure out how to take that. Her entire focus seemed to be pulled between the insecure things she'd said and her wild actions. She had the hollowing feeling that Daryl was right in his name calling. The amount of stupidity that tied into every bad move she'd made in one day was sickeningly significant.

A faint click of metal locking together dragged her unfocused attention back up. Daryl had stopped a few yards in front of her. His arm awkwardly held the bulky crossbow at an odd angle as he lined up a shot. The weapon kicked backed after he released a shot. Kyra's eyes didn't waver to his target, but stayed fixed on the fierce redneck. She had caught the slightest twitch of a restrained wince at the shot. Her stomach dropped nauseatingly with it. Thoughts jarred back to the arrow she'd jabbed deep into his arm and the clear damage that had done. Her stomach pulled down harder when she realized that by risking his own survival all he'd gotten in return from her was physical and verbal attacks.

She found her body shifting into action before she could think better of it. There wasn't any other form of apology she could think of as she took the final steps leading to him. Daryl's gaze shifted over to her as he absently cleaned the shaft of the arrow on his worn jeans. She noticed the unsure step back he took at her close proximity. His expression flared in a display of awkward expressions the second she flung her arms around him in a loose hug. "Thank you," she stated firmly, trying her best to sound sincere.

Tense muscles jumped in a full body flinch at her sudden contact. She could feel his body relax for a fraction of a second before jolting fiercely within her weak hold. The awkward hug ended the second her arms had looped around his chest. "Get off." Daryl growled, his voice taking on a sharper edge of defense. He roughly jerked away from her with an uncomfortable forced glare. His eyes didn't possess the usual fierce intensity as she stared back at him. His gaze dropped awkwardly to the ground as he carefully swung the crossbow back onto his shoulder. "Come or go." He ordered distantly, side stepping the rotted dead as he entered the woods without another word or glance.

Kyra blinked in a complete daze as she watched him recoil and retreat away from her. Her mind struggled to catch up, while she stood absently watching him slip farther into the shadowed woods. She was thrown entirely by all of it. Her entirely rushed attempt at thanking him had failed. Her feet scrambled back into motion as his figure blurred into the crisscrossing trees. The one thing she was able to coherently decide on was to follow him. A part of her felt that this was her last chance to live. That in some strange way Daryl had given her the final ultimatum on her life.

She forced her body into a cramped exhausted jog. The final strains of energy she had left unsteadily brought her back within range of Daryl. Whatever had compelled her to hug the distant man didn't surface in her mind. At that she felt somewhat childish in even thinking a hug was appropriate or needed in order to say thank you. If she had the time or strength to pick through the last few days she had the sinking feeling that everything she'd done up to this point in time were nothing but selfish. Of course, that wasn't something she was willing to accept or admit.

"I can," her voice caught as her eyes focused on the thick branching lines of fresh and dried blood running down his toned arm. The deep puncture wound she'd given him glistened disgustingly in the dim light. "I can fix that." She finished weakly with a tight nod; even in her current state she could tell the wound needed stitches.

"Ain't nothin'." Daryl grumbled, awkwardly shifting his shoulder and arm away from her view. His attention remained on the woods and ground around them. It gave Kyra the defeated impression that he was closing her out, yet she didn't have the need to keep pushing him. It had taken this much for her to finally become aware of just how much damage she'd done to one of the few people who seemed even remotely interested in keeping her alive. She watched sadly as he heaved his shoulders again in an attempt to keep the crossbow from bearing down on the wound.

"Daryl, I-" She tried, her voice trailing off at the hard intensely cold look he turned on her.

"Stop talkin'. Just stop." He stated bluntly, while his uninjured arm crossed over and hand tugged the crossbow farther up on his shoulder. "Heard 'nough of your shit to last me a life," he added in a low mumble.

The off grey and shadowed woods were a blur to her as she followed Daryl in complete silence. Her thoughts once again managed to find the focal point of her focus. It was completely useless for her to even try to make sense or connections between any of them. She was exhausted and each step and stumble she made behind Daryl sent new cramps flaring throughout her body. There was no point in trying to find a stronger focus on the woods or walkers that met the pointy end of an arrow. She didn't know where the sense of trust in Daryl came from. Although a small part of her knew that the trust was just her own delusional false reassurance. She had no weapon left to use in her own defense and that likely was a good a thing.

Her ratty worn boots scuffed over the pitch black pavement as they made their way across another road and towards a break in the woods. She vaguely caught sight of the Hyundai on the shoulder of the road before she turned her gaze back to Daryl's back. The tension between him and her had only gotten worse over the expanse of time. To Kyra this silent walk back to the group was a walk of shame. She wasn't even sure if she was ready to face the people she had weakly walked away from much less accept the fact that she had to stay. This game she had been playing since joining them was over.

Her mind shifted back to Rick's instructions and rested on the solemn expression that had crossed his face while giving them. He was an odd part to her getting back up and fighting against this new world. She still couldn't figure out why he'd turned into a focus for her thoughts when everything felt as if it was crashing in around her. She pushed back that misplaced attachment. It was just another distracting delusional pull her mind was making.

A sharp click echoed in front of them causing her attention to snap painfully back to the woods and the soft glow of a fire reflecting dully off low branches in the distance. Daryl didn't seem fazed by the sound or the camp they were walking towards. She found herself taking the slightest step closer to him and remained there. Her blood shot tired eyes narrowed in on the outline of a man standing against the soft light from the flame. His arm lowered and pistol pointed towards the ground as they approached.

"Couldn't find no damn squirrels," Daryl called out gruffly with a nod towards the man. Rick's shadowed appearance brought her right back to the memories that had pushed her to keep moving. The oddest sad smile flitted across her sharp features in his direction. "But I did us one better." The glance that Daryl gave her went entirely unnoticed as they both came to a stop across from him.

Pale blue eyes captured her entire attention, while a broad smile returned hers.

**Panic's Commentary: ** Six was the lucky number for this chapter. Sorry for the delay, but each write up just wasn't hitting the vibe I wanted to until I finally came up with this one! It was a bit of a struggle to find the right balance between Kyra and Daryl, while also working hard to keep Daryl true to form.

Yes, this chapter does place a high stake on a Kyra that is even farther gone than the past chapter. If some of it seems a bit incoherent that was the point. She's crossed that line and needs to come back. I find that a vital part of survival, so Kyra gets to live it.

I wanted to show that she can fight but only in the absence of her active mind and by that I mean she has to shut herself off from what she's doing. I wanted to show the struggle of that notion and hopefully it came across well.

This does feed into my final freestyle chapter before getting us going on season 3. Rick's back and has a few things to settle with Kyra or at least start. The next chapter will give some more development on relationships within the group and from there I should be able to make a nice little time skip.

Also, I'm sure some of you picked up on one of those plot thickeners. =D

This chapter was considerably longer than most. I'm hoping it didn't drag or seem slow. That's a bonus for you guys, because I may not be able to get another update out until the week after next. The week before spring break always happens to be the best time for professors to slam students with tests and there's this thing called Mega Con that I'm going to. This nerd will be doing an interpretation cosplay for one of the walking dead cast.

As always guys I give you the power in the form of a simple question. What did you think of this chapter?

**Reviews are of the dearest treasures to me.**

_Flames. Flames. Go away. Come again no other day._


End file.
